People

Population: 3 375 771 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44% (male 745 128; female 737 879)

15-64 years: 52% (male 864 263; female 906 656)

65 years and over: 4% (male 55 051; female 66 794) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.02% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 38.72 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 16.75 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.78 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 105.73 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 46.82 years

male: 45.02 years

female: 48.68 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.12 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Central African(s)

adjective: Central African

Ethnic groups: Baya 34% Banda 27% Sara 10% Mandjia 21% Mboum 4% M'Baka 4% Europeans 6 500 (including 3 600 French)

Religions: indigenous beliefs 24% Protestant 25% Roman Catholic 25% Muslim 15% other 11%

note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Languages: French (official) Sangho (lingua franca and national language) Arabic Hunsa Swahili

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 60%

male: 68.5%

female: 52.4% (1995 est.)