Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]
total: 603,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)
Broadcast media [time series]
government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), with both TV and radio broadcasts, was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until 2007, when the government issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operate under administrative tolerance, meaning the stations could be subject to closure at any time (2023)
Internet country code [time series]
.cm
Internet users [time series]
percent of population: 42% (2023 est.)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 67,500 (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2024 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total subscriptions: 31.5 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 108 (2024 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products [time series]
cassava, plantains, oil palm fruit, maize, taro, tomatoes, sorghum, sugarcane, bananas, vegetables (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Average household expenditures [time series]
on food: 45.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 2.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Budget [time series]
revenues: $6.385 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $7.624 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Current account balance [time series]
-$2.019 billion (2023 est.) -$1.505 billion (2022 est.) -$1.794 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external [time series]
$11.112 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Economic overview [time series]
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
Exchange rates [time series]
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 606.345 (2024 est.) 606.57 (2023 est.) 623.76 (2022 est.) 554.531 (2021 est.) 575.586 (2020 est.)
Exports [time series]
$8.353 billion (2023 est.) $8.641 billion (2022 est.) $7.447 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities [time series]
crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, cocoa beans, wood (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners [time series]
Netherlands 21%, France 14%, UAE 13%, India 9%, China 8% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$51.327 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 74.5% (2024 est.) government consumption: 10.5% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 21.4% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 14.7% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -21.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 17.4% (2024 est.) industry: 25.6% (2024 est.) services: 49.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income [time series]
42.2 (2021 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 2.1% (2021 est.) highest 10%: 31.1% (2021 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Imports [time series]
$10.294 billion (2023 est.) $9.759 billion (2022 est.) $9.025 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities [time series]
garments, refined petroleum, plastic products, wheat, rice (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - partners [time series]
China 43%, France 6%, India 6%, Belgium 4%, UAE 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
1.9% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries [time series]
petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
4.5% (2024 est.) 7.4% (2023 est.) 6.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Labor force [time series]
11.119 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Public debt [time series]
32.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) [time series]
$143.264 billion (2024 est.) $138.191 billion (2023 est.) $133.843 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP growth rate [time series]
3.7% (2024 est.) 3.2% (2023 est.) 3.7% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per capita [time series]
$4,900 (2024 est.) $4,900 (2023 est.) $4,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Remittances [time series]
1.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 1% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$4.882 billion (2023 est.) $5.133 billion (2022 est.) $4.3 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
11.3% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Unemployment rate [time series]
3.6% (2024 est.) 3.7% (2023 est.) 3.7% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 6.2% (2024 est.) male: 5.9% (2024 est.) female: 6.7% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Energy
imports: 300 metric tons (2023 est.)
Electricity [time series]
installed generating capacity: 1.798 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 6.161 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 60 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 2.238 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity access [time series]
electrification - total population: 71% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 94% electrification - rural areas: 25%
Electricity generation sources [time series]
fossil fuels: 36.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 63.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita [time series]
4.271 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Natural gas [time series]
production: 2.356 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 534.691 million cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 1.821 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 135.071 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Petroleum [time series]
total petroleum production: 64,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 41,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 200 million barrels (2021 est.)
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions [time series]
6.707 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 200 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 5.658 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 1.049 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Climate [time series]
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Environmental issues [time series]
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; poaching; overfishing; overhunting
International environmental agreements [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 20.9% (2023 est.) arable land: 13.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 3.6% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.) forest: 41% (2023 est.) other: 38.1% (2023 est.)
Methane emissions [time series]
energy: 293.3 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 278.2 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 166.4 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 24 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Particulate matter emissions [time series]
62 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources [time series]
283.15 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal [time series]
municipal: 246.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 104.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 737 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 59.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling [time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 3.271 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 4.6% (2022 est.)
Geography
total : 475,440 sq km land: 472,710 sq km water: 2,730 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania
Climate [time series]
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Coastline [time series]
402 km
Elevation [time series]
highest point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 667 m
Geographic coordinates [time series]
6 00 N, 12 00 E
Geography - note [time series]
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano
Irrigated land [time series]
290 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 5,018 km border countries (6): Central African Republic 901 km; Chad 1,116 km; Republic of the Congo 494 km; Equatorial Guinea 183 km; Gabon 349 km; Nigeria 1975 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 20.9% (2023 est.) arable land: 13.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 3.6% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.) forest: 41% (2023 est.) other: 38.1% (2023 est.)
Location [time series]
Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Major aquifers [time series]
Lake Chad Basin
Major lakes (area sq km) [time series]
fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Chad) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year
Major watersheds (area sq km) [time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), Niger (2,261,741 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Map references [time series]
Africa
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in the Oku volcanic field sometimes release fatal levels of gas, which killed about 1,700 people in 1986
Natural resources [time series]
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Population distribution [time series]
population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map
Terrain [time series]
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
10 regions ( r gions , singular - r gion ); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extr me-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)
Capital [time series]
name: Yaounde geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: Germans founded the city in 1888, but the name comes from the native Ewondo people; the meaning of the name is unclear
Citizenship [time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cameroon dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Constitution [time series]
history: several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; amendment drafts require approval of at least one third of the membership in either house of Parliament; passage requires absolute majority vote of the Parliament membership; passage of drafts requested by the president for a second reading in Parliament requires two-thirds majority vote of its membership; the president can opt to submit drafts to a referendum, in which case passage requires a simple majority; constitutional articles on Cameroon s unity and territorial integrity and its democratic principles cannot be amended
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon conventional short form: Cameroon local long form: R publique du Cameroun (French)/Republic of Cameroon (English) local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon former: Kamerun, French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon etymology: in the 16th century, Portuguese explorers named an estuary near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water; the name Camaroes evolved into "Cameroon"
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher J. LAMORA (since 21 March 2022) embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaound mailing address: 2520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 22251-4000 FAX: [237] 22251-4000, Ext. 4531 email address and website: YaoundeACS@state.gov https://cm.usembassy.gov/ branch office(s): Douala
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016) chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826 email address and website: mail@cameroonembassyusa Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC, USA (cameroonembassyusa.org)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) head of government: Prime Minister Joseph NGUTE (since 4 January 2019) cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 12 October 2025 election results: 2025- Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 53.7%, Issa Tchiroma BAKARY (CNSF) 35.2%, Cabral LIBII (PCRN) 3.4%, Bello Boubou MAIGARI (UNDP)2.4%, other 5.3% 2018: Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 71.3%, Maurice KAMTO (MRC) 14.2%, Cabral LIBII (Univers) 6.3%, other 8.2% (2018) expected date of next election: October 2032
description: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), red, and yellow, with a small five-pointed yellow star centered in the red band meaning: red stands for unity; yellow for the sun, happiness, and the northern savannahs; green for hope and the southern forests; the star is called the "star of unity;" the vertical tricolor design is similar to the French flag history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement
Government type [time series]
presidential republic
Independence [time series]
1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
International law organization participation [time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation [time series]
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for renewable 6-year terms subordinate courts: Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrates' courts
Legal system [time series]
mixed system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Legislative branch [time series]
legislature name: Parlement - Parliament legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber [time series]
chamber name: National Assembly (Assemblée nationale - National Assembly) number of seats: 180 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 3/12/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC/CPDM) (152); Other (28) percentage of women in chamber: 33.9% expected date of next election: February 2026
Legislative branch - upper chamber [time series]
chamber name: Senate (S nat - Senate) number of seats: 100 (70 indirectly elected; 30 appointed) scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 2/9/2020 to 3/22/2020 percentage of women in chamber: 33% expected date of next election: March 2027
National anthem(s) [time series]
title: "O Cameroun, Berceau de Nos Anc tres" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers) lyrics/music: Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME history: adopted 1957; lyrics were changed slightly to the current version in 1978
National color(s) [time series]
green, red, yellow
National heritage [time series]
total World Heritage Sites: 3 (two natural and one cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Dja Faunal Reserve (n); Sangha Trinational Forest (n); Diy-Gid-Biy Cultural Landscape of the Mandara Mountains (c)
National holiday [time series]
State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)
National symbol(s) [time series]
lion
Political parties [time series]
Alliance for Democracy and Development Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM Cameroon People's Party or CPP Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation or PCRN Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon or FSNC Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP Progressive Movement or MP Social Democratic Front or SDF Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC Union of Socialist Movements
Suffrage [time series]
20 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
Powerful chiefdoms ruled much of the area of present-day Cameroon before it became a German colony known as Kamerun in 1884. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year, the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Nonetheless, unrest and violence in the country's two western, English-speaking regions have persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow, and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
the Cameroon Armed Forces (FAC) are responsible for defending the country's territorial integrity, providing humanitarian assistance, supporting regional peacekeeping operations, and contributing to internal security; key areas of focus are the threat from the terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa along its frontiers with Nigeria and Chad (Far North region) and, since 2016, an insurgency from armed Anglophone separatist groups in the North-West and South-West regions; in addition, the FAC often deploys ground units to the border region with the Central African Republic to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits; the Navy s missions include protecting Cameroon s oil installations, combatting crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and patrolling the country s lakes and rivers; the FAC's small Air Force supports both the ground and naval forces (2025)
Military and security forces [time series]
Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army, Cameroon Navy (includes naval infantry or fusiliers marin), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Firefighting Corps General Delegation for National Security (D l gation G n rale la S ret Nationale or DGSN): Cameroon Police (2025) note 1: the Army includes the Rapid Intervention Brigade (Brigade d Intervention Rapide or BIR), which maintains its own command and control structure and reports directly to the Chief of Defense staff and the Presidency; the BIR includes airborne/airmobile, amphibious, armored reconnaissance, artillery, and counterterrorism forces, as well as support elements, such as intelligence note 2: the Cameroon Police and the National Gendarmerie are responsible for internal security; the Gendarmerie conducts administrative, criminal, and military investigative functions; other missions include customs, air and maritime surveillance, and road traffic control; in times of conflict, it participates in internal defense
Military and security service personnel strengths [time series]
estimated 40-50,000 active FAC, including the Gendarmerie (2025)
Military deployments [time series]
750 (plus about 400 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025) note: Cameroon has committed approximately 2,000-2,500 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations occur occasionally
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions [time series]
the FAC inventory is comprised of armaments from a variety of countries, including China, Israel, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, the US, and some Western European countries, particularly France (2025)
Military expenditures [time series]
1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1% of GDP (2021 est.) 1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (18-28 for medical services); no conscription; service obligation 4 years (2025)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 41.5% (male 6,477,438/female 6,364,987) 15-64 years: 55.3% (male 8,488,522/female 8,638,519) 65 years and over: 3.2% (2024 est.) (male 463,628/female 533,011)
Alcohol consumption per capita [time series]
total: 4.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 1.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
30.79 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Child marriage [time series]
women married by age 15: 10.7% (2018) women married by age 18: 29.8% (2018) men married by age 18: 2.9% (2018)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
11% (2018 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49) [time series]
58.1% (2018 est.)
Death rate [time series]
6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 77.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 71.8 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 5.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 17.3 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 81.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 52.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 69.6% of population (2022 est.) urban: 18.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 47.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 30.4% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure [time series]
2.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 13.8% national budget (2024 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Bamileke-Bamu 22.2%, Biu-Mandara 16.4%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 13.5%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 13.1%, Grassfields 9.9%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 4.6%, Southwestern Bantu 4.3%, Kako/Meka 2.3%, foreign/other ethnic group 3.8% (2022 est.)
Gross reproduction rate [time series]
1.91 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure [time series]
3.8% of GDP (2021) 3.9% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density [time series]
2.6 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 44.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 50.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages [time series]
24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English) The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 64.2 years (2024 est.) male: 62.3 years female: 66.1 years
Literacy [time series]
total population: 72.6% (2018 est.) male: 79.7% (2018 est.) female: 66.2% (2018 est.)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio [time series]
258 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Median age [time series]
total: 19.4 years (2025 est.) male: 18.6 years female: 19.2 years
Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]
20.1 years (2018 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Nationality [time series]
noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian
Net migration rate [time series]
-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
11.4% (2016)
Physician density [time series]
0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Population [time series]
total: 31,518,954 (2025 est.) male: 15,683,611 female: 15,835,343
Population distribution [time series]
population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map
Population growth rate [time series]
2.37% (2025 est.)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 33.1%, Muslim 30.6%, Protestant 27.1% other Christian 6.1%, animist 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 1.2% (2022 est.)
Sanitation facility access [time series]
urban: 83.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 27.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 60.2% of population (2022 est.) urban: 16.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 72.6% of population (2022 est.) total: 39.8% of population (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 11 years (2023 est.) male: 12 years (2023 est.) female: 10 years (2023 est.)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use [time series]
total: 5% (2025 est.) male: 9.2% (2025 est.) female: 0.9% (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 59.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s) [time series]
Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham West Africa note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]
refugees: 443,740 (2024 est.) IDPs: 1,058,405 (2024 est.)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
37 (2025)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
TJ
Heliports [time series]
1 (2025)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 198 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 91, oil tanker 42, other 63
total ports: 7 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 0 very small: 5 size unknown: 1 ports with oil terminals: 5 key ports: Douala, Ebome Marine Terminal, Kole Oil Terminal, Kome Kribi 1 Marine Terminal, Kribi Deep Sea Port, Limboh Terminal, Moudi Marine Terminal
Railways [time series]
total: 987 km (2014) narrow gauge: 987 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge note: railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL