Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas was 38.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
38.8%
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
211th
of 212 countries
All-time high
38.8%
in 2024
All-time low
8.0%
in 1995
Years of data
30
1995–2024

Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Central African Republic, 1995–2024

102030401995200920241995: 8 % of urban population1996: 9.2 % of urban population1997: 10.1 % of urban population1998: 11.1 % of urban population1999: 12 % of urban population2000: 15.6 % of urban population2001: 13.9 % of urban population2002: 14.8 % of urban population2003: 15.7 % of urban population2004: 16.6 % of urban population2005: 17.6 % of urban population2006: 20.3 % of urban population2007: 19.6 % of urban population2008: 11.9 % of urban population2009: 21.6 % of urban population2010: 24.9 % of urban population2011: 26.1 % of urban population2012: 27.1 % of urban population2013: 28 % of urban population2014: 28.8 % of urban population2015: 29.7 % of urban population2016: 30.5 % of urban population2017: 31.4 % of urban population2018: 32.2 % of urban population2019: 32.1 % of urban population2020: 33.9 % of urban population2021: 34.7 % of urban population2022: 34.7 % of urban population2023: 37.4 % of urban population2024: 38.8 % of urban population

Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

Central African Republic recorded 38.8% for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in 2024. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.7% on the previous year and up 34.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Central African Republic peaked at 38.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.0%, in 1995.

Central African Republic ranks 211th of 212 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 10.1% 8.0% 12.0% 5
2000s 16.8% 11.9% 21.6% 10
2010s 29.1% 24.9% 32.2% 10
2020s 35.9% 33.9% 38.8% 5

Countries ranked near Central African Republic

  1. 208 Liberia 55.5% compare
  2. 209 Democratic Republic of Congo 55.0% compare
  3. 210 Chad 51.0% compare
  4. 212 South Sudan 22.8% compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More energy & mining data for Central African Republic

All data for Central African Republic →

Frequently asked questions

What is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Central African Republic?
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Central African Republic was 38.8% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Central African Republic?
The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 2024.
What is the lowest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Central African Republic?
The lowest recorded value was 8.0% in 1995.
How does Central African Republic rank for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
Central African Republic ranks 211th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Central African Republic?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Central African Republic data come from?
The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas
Unit
% of urban population
Source
SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 6,652 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

The definition used in international statistics adopts a very low cutoff for what it means to ‘have access to electricity’. It is defined as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.