The economy of the Central African Republic (CAR) shows encouraging signs of recovery, with estimated growth of 3.3% per cent in 2025, driven by the primary sector and rebounding investment, according to an African Development Bank report published on 19 August in Bangui.
The 2026 Country Focus Report titled Mobilising Central African Republic's Development Financing at Scale in a Fragmented World, argues that this momentum will need to be consolidated to foster sustainable and inclusive structural transformation
The Bank Group finds that the overall budget deficit fell to 3.5% of GDP in 2025, down from 5.1% per cent in 2024, while public debt reached 59% GDP, up from 58% in 2024. The current account deficit in the balance of payments stood at 7.4% of GDP in 2025, compared with 9% in 2024.
The growth outlook for 2026 - 2027 will depend in part on security stability, energy availability and the implementation of key infrastructure projects in the energy, transport and agro-industrial sectors. The Bank Group projects real GDP growth of 2.9% in 2026 and 3.9% in 2027, with inflation likely to exceed the regional target of 3%, and a general government deficit expected to range between 3.5% in 2026 and 3% in 2027.
During the report launch, Marc Mandaba, the Central African Minister for the Economy, Planning and International Cooperation and the Bank Governor, said, "The economic recovery observed in 2025, with real GDP growth of 3.3% - following 1.8% in 2024 and 0.7% in 2023 - is encouraging. However, this recovery remains insufficient to meet the scale of our social needs, create enough jobs and bring about a sustainable improvement in the living conditions of our people."
Mandaba also stressed the importance of the Bank Group's New Financial Architecture for African Development to the country. "For the Central African Republic, this new architecture must translate in practical terms into the mobilisation of domestic savings, diaspora funds, institutional investors, regional financing and private capital. It must also enable us to make better use of guarantees, blended finance, local currency instruments and risk-sharing mechanisms to make our projects more bankable and attractive," he said.
The report launch was also attended by Hervé Ndoba, Minister for Finance and the Budget and Acting Governor; Faustin A. Koyasse, Minister responsible for the Joint Consultative Framework for Business Improvement; Annie Michelle Mouanga, Minister for Labour, Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training; and Ali Chaïbou, National Director of the Bank of Central African States.
The Country Report highlights the importance of mobilising the resources needed for the economic and social transformation of the Central African Republic against a backdrop of a fragmented global economy, particularly to finance its 2024 - 2028 National Development Plan, for which funding requirements are estimated at $12.8 billion.
"This is a particularly important issue for the Central African Republic, which is committed to implementing its 2024 - 2028 National Development Plan and possesses significant potential in agriculture, natural resources and energy. However, realising these ambitions will require increased mobilisation of domestic resources, strengthened economic governance, improved efficiency in public investment and more active participation from the private sector," said Mamadou Coulibaly, the Bank Group's Country manager
Download the 2026 Country Report for the Central African Republic. (French only)
