Year-over-year change: -1.4%, trend down
5-year change: +46.2%, trend up
Central African Republic
Natural change rate: 35.57 per 1,000 population
View MoreRate of natural population change (births minus deaths)
Global8.3per 1,000 population
19502100
2026
Rankings at a glance
Highest 10 · Rate of natural population change (births minus deaths) (2026)
With 35.57 per 1,000 population in 2026, the Central African Republic is projected to lead the world in rate of natural population change (births minus deaths), followed by Niger (31.71 per 1,000 population) and Somalia (31.64 per 1,000 population). The top 5 is rounded off by DR Congo (31.57 per 1,000 population) and Chad (31.25 per 1,000 population). Further down, Mali (30.53 per 1,000 population) and Mayotte (30.35 per 1,000 population) hold the next two spots. Angola (29.64 per 1,000 population), Mozambique (29.39 per 1,000 population), and Uganda (28.46 per 1,000 population) round out the top ten. Among these countries, Chad is projected to see the largest year-over-year change at -2.7%.
Rank changes
How rate of natural population change (births minus deaths) changed between 2025 and 2026
2025and2026
Historical trends
Key terms
- Population growth rate
- — Annual percentage change in total population size.
- Population density
- — People per square kilometre of land area.
- Median age
- — Age at which half the population is younger and half is older.
- Sex ratio
- — Number of males per 100 females in the population.
Frequently asked questions
- Which country has the highest rate of natural change?
- The Central African Republic is projected to have the highest rate of natural change at 35.57 per 1,000 population in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
- Which country has the lowest rate of natural change?
- The Holy See is projected to have the lowest rate of natural change at -20.28 per 1,000 population in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
- What is the global rate of natural change?
- The global rate of natural change is projected to be 8.3 per 1,000 population in 2026, as published by the United Nations in World Population Prospects 2024.
