Military profile
Central African Republic Military Strength
Central African Republic ranks #136 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 10,000 active personnel. It spent $74 million on its military in 2025 (2.3% of GDP).
Central African Republic armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 10,000#121 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 0#84 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 1,000#106 of 145
- Army personnel
- 7,500#122 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 500#120 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 0#113 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 3#134 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 0#95 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 0#65 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 1#135 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 0#79 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 3#113 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 0#96 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 0#107 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 0#98 of 145
Finance
- Military spending
- $74 million#142 of 156
- Military spending as % of GDP
- 2.3%#46 of 156
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $4.5 billion#144 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Central African Republic military spending 2010–2025
Military spending of Central African Republic grew by 44% between 2010 and 2025, from $52 million to $74 million (current US dollars), and stood at 2.3% of GDP in 2025.
Armed forces of Central African Republic
Branches and forces
Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Army (includes an air squadron, Escadrille Centrafricaine) Ministry of Interior: National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale), National Police (2025)
Personnel
estimated 10-15,000 active FACA (2025)
Service age and conscription
18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription although the constitution provides for the possibility of conscription in the event of an imminent threat to the country (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
most of the military's heavy weapons and equipment were lost during the 2012–2014 civil war; prior to the war, most of its inventory was of French, Russian, or Soviet origin; in recent years, it has received some donated equipment from China and Russia, including armored vehicles, drones, helicopters, jet trainer aircraft, and some light weapons (2025)
Good to know
the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) are focused on internal security; since the 2013 coup, multiple armed groups have been active in the country, carrying out attacks, controlling territory, and undermining security; the coup resulted in the institutional collapse of the FACA; its forces were overwhelmed and forced to flee to neighboring countries; it has been estimated that only 10% of the FACA returned afterwards; over the past decade, the FACA has sought to rebuild with considerable foreign assistance, including from France, the EU, Russia, Rwanda, Uganda, and the UN; Russian private military contractors and Rwandan military forces have assisted the FACA in its operations against rebel groups the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has operated in the country since 2014; its mission includes providing security, protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance, disarming and demobilizing armed groups, and supporting the country’s transitional government (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2024: 2.5% · 2023: 1.8% · 2022: 1.7% · 2021: 1.8% · 2020: 1.8%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Central African Republic compared with its neighbours
| Country | Strength rank | Military spending |
|---|---|---|
| Central African Republic | #136 | $74 million |
 DR Congo | #72 | $1.2 billion |
 Chad | #97 | $649 million |
 South Sudan | #116 | $178 million |
 Cameroon | #100 | $627 million |
 Republic of the Congo | #122 | $205 million |
 Sudan | #75 | $369 million |