Cameroon

Sub-Saharan Africa·Lower middle income

Population: 28.4M; 52nd of 217
GDP: $51.3B; 93rd of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $1,762; 177th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 63.7; 195th of 217
Human development: 0.576; 149th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Cameroon

Senegal

Comoros

Guinea

Mauritania

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

largest CEMAC economy with many natural resources; recent political instability and terrorism reducing economic output; systemic corruption; poor property rights enforcement; increasing poverty in northern regions

Area: 475,440 km²
Resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Borders: Central African Republic; Chad 1,116 km; Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Nigeria

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian69.8%▼ 1.8pt
Muslim25.2%▲ 3.8pt
Other2.9%▼ 1.0pt
Unaffiliated2.1%▼ 1.0pt

Religious diversity: 5.22 / 10 · moderate · 51st of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

CMR

SEN

COM

GIN

GDP

current US$

$51.3B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$822M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

28.3%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

17.4%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

25.6%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

2,180.6–––

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

0.644–––

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

–––

Population

people

28.4M–––

Population density

people per km²

58.5–––

Urban population

% of total

59.3%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

4.3–––

Net migration

people

-13.9K–––

Population under 15

% of total

41.4%–––

Population 65+

% of total

2.8%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

4.5%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

2.6%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

1,251.8–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

293.6–––

Electricity generation

TWh

8.3–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

5.22–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

2.1%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

0.9%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#93/214

$51.3B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#177/214

$1,7622024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#161/203

$5,406latest

GDP growth

annual %

#88/214

3.7%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#170/207

$1,6802024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#24/213

0.4%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#97/201

$822M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#182/205

28.3%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#44/206

17.4%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#82/208

25.6%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#59/187

3.6%latest

Gini index

0–100

#132/168

42.2latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#132/168

26.7%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#135/165

$2,8122022

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#121/144

1.952023

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

#31/129

2,180.62023

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

#11/139

0.6442023

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

#88/119

0.4662023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#52/217

28.4Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#145/216

58.5latest

Urban population

% of total

#120/215

59.3%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#195/217

63.7latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#17/217

4.3latest

Net migration

people

#163/217

-13.9K2024

Population under 15

% of total

#17/217

41.4%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#200/217

2.8%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#173/196

41.2latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#181/196

67.2latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#142/192

4.5%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#176/195

0.1latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#121/160

78.2%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#165/199

2.6%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#143/194

15.8%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#167/210

41.9%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#148/214

96.52023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#157/208

2.12022

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#191/215

25.22024

Access to electricity

% of population

#176/215

72%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#175/198

1,251.82023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#168/202

293.62023

Electricity generation

TWh

#113/202

8.32023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#52/202

63.9%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#63/202

36.1%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#95/204

9.62024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#27/204

0.32024

Share of global CO₂

#110/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#40/193

2.32023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#63/210

0.1%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#112/210

0.5%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#159/210

0.1%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#90/210

0.3%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#151/210

0.62024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#124/175

0.262025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#135/175

0.1142025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#122/175

0.5092025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#172/175

0.9392025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#140/175

0.2072025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#140/178

262022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#165/193

-1.132022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#154/193

-0.8822022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#160/193

-1.052022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#171/193

-1.352022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#93/175

0.762025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#101/126

3752025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#103/126

2402025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#112/126

1332025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#51/193

5.222020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#109/193

2.1%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#149/189

0.5762021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#148/170

0.5652021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#107/164

5.082025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#135/158

2.662023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#122/161

0.9%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.