Cameroon

Presidential RepublicPop31.5MGDP (PPP)$143.3BCI20Beta CP0.0→Beta

Cameroon

⌘K

Overview

Background: 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.

Geography

Area

Land: 472,710 sq km
Water: 2,730 sq km
Total: 475,440 sq km

Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Land Use

Other: 38.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 41% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 20.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 13.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)

Location: Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Coastline: 402 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m
Mean elevation: 667 m

Irrigated land: 290 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: Lake Chad Basin
Map references: Africa

Land Boundaries

Total: 5,018 km
Border countries: 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

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards: 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
Geography note: 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
Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Area comparative: slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania
Geographic coordinates: 6 00 N, 12 00 E
Population distribution: population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map

Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)

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)

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)

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 79.7% (2018 est.)
Female: 66.2% (2018 est.)
Total population: 72.6% (2018 est.)

Languages

Languages: 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)

Religions: 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.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 30.79 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 18.6 years
Total: 19.4 years (2025 est.)
Female: 19.2 years

Population

Male: 15,683,611
Total: 31,518,954 (2025 est.)
Female: 15,835,343

Nationality

Noun: Cameroonian(s)
Adjective: Cameroonian

Tobacco Use

Male: 9.2% (2025 est.)
Total: 5% (2025 est.)
Female: 0.9% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 59.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

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)

Ethnic groups: 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.)

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 2.9% (2018)
Women married BY age 15: 10.7% (2018)
Women married BY age 18: 29.8% (2018)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 77.6 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 71.8 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 17.3 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.8 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 3.8% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 3.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 2.6 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 52.5% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 69.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 81.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 47.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 30.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 18.4% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 2.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 13.8% national budget (2024 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 50.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 44.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 41.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 2.37% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.91 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 62.3 years
Female: 66.1 years
Total population: 64.2 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 258 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 27.4% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 60.2% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 83.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 72.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 39.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 16.8% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 2.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 4.09 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.)

Major urban areas population: 4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 11.4% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 20.1 years (2018 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 58.1% (2018 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11% (2018 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 12 years (2023 est.)
Total: 11 years (2023 est.)
Female: 10 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: 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

Capital

Name: Yaounde
Etymology: Germans founded the city in 1888, but the name comes from the native Ewondo people; the meaning of the name is unclear
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Citizenship

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

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

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"
Local long form: République du Cameroun (French)/Republic of Cameroon (English)
Local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon
Conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
Conventional short form: Cameroon

Independence: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
Legal system: mixed system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Government type: presidential republic

Judicial Branch

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)
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
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

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
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)
Head of government: Prime Minister Joseph NGUTE (since 4 January 2019)
Most recent election date: 12 October 2025
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
Expected date of next election: October 2032

National holiday: State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)
National color(s): green, red, yellow

National Heritage

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)

Political parties: 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

Legislative Branch

Legislature name: Parlement - Parliament
Legislative structure: bicameral

National Anthem(s)

Title: "O Cameroun, Berceau de Nos Ancêtres" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)
History: adopted 1957; lyrics were changed slightly to the current version in 1978
Lyrics/music: Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME

National symbol(s): lion
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (régions, singular - région); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extrême-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)

Legislative Branch Lower Chamber

Chamber name: National Assembly (Assemblée nationale - National Assembly)
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 180 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 3/12/2023
Expected date of next election: February 2026
Percentage of women in chamber: 33.9%
Parties elected and seats per party: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC/CPDM) (152); Other (28)

Legislative Branch Upper Chamber

Chamber name: Senate (Sénat - Senate)
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 100 (70 indirectly elected; 30 appointed)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 2/9/2020 to 3/22/2020
Expected date of next election: March 2027
Percentage of women in chamber: 33%

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 387-3826
Chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790
Chief of mission: Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016)
Email address and website: mail@cameroonembassyusa

Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC, USA (cameroonembassyusa.org)

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [237] 22251-4000, Ext. 4531
Embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaoundé
Telephone: [237] 22251-4000
Mailing address: 2520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC  20521-2520
Branch office(s): Douala
Chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher J. LAMORA (since 21 March 2022)
Email address and website: YaoundeACS@state.gov

https://cm.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: 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
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

Legislature

CAMEROON · LOWER HOUSE

National Assembly

180 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

180

Majority line

Largest party

Cameroon People's Democratic Movement

Parties

All political parties10 parties · 180 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

CAMEROON · UPPER HOUSE

Senate

100 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

100

Majority line

Largest party

Cameroon People's Democratic Movement

Parties

All political parties7 parties · 100 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

PB
Paul Biya
- Head of StateSince 1982
JN
Joseph Ngute
- Head of GovernmentSince 2019

Economy

Budget

Note: 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
Revenues: $6.385 billion (2021 est.)
Expenditures: $7.624 billion (2021 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $8.4B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2021: $7.447 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $8.641 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $8.353 billion (2023 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $10.0B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2021: $9.025 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $9.759 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $10.294 billion (2023 est.)

Industries: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
Labor force: 11.119 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 32.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2016: 32.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021: 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022: 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 575.586 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 554.531 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 623.76 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 606.57 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 606.345 (2024 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $11.112 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview: 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

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.6%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 3.7% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 3.7% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 3.6% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: Netherlands 21%, France 14%, UAE 13%, India 9%, China 8% (2023)
Imports partners: China 43%, France 6%, India 6%, Belgium 4%, UAE 4% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5,589

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $4,800 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $4,900 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $4,900 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.5%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3.7% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3.2% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 3.7% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: cassava, plantains, oil palm fruit, maize, taro, tomatoes, sorghum, sugarcane, bananas, vegetables (2023)
Exports commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, cocoa beans, wood (2023)
Imports commodities: garments, refined petroleum, plastic products, wheat, rice (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$1.8B

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2021: -$1.794 billion (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$1.505 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$2.019 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 11.3% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $51.327 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 74.5% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 10.5% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.4% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 14.7% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -21.1% (2024 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

On food: 45.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 2.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 4.5%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 6.2% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 7.4% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 4.5% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $143.264 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $133.843 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $138.191 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $143.264 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 5.9% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 6.2% (2024 est.)
Female: 6.7% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021: $4.3 billion (2021 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $5.133 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $4.882 billion (2023 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 25.6% (2024 est.)
Services: 49.9% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 17.4% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 2.1% (2021 est.)
Highest 10%: 31.1% (2021 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2021: 42.2 (2021 est.)

Energy

Coal

Imports: 300 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 64,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 200 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 41,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Imports: 60 million kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 6.161 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.798 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 2.238 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Exports: 1.821 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 2.356 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 534.691 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 135.071 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification rural areas: 25%
Electrification urban areas: 94%
Electrification total population: 71% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 4.271 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 36.1% 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.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 42% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: 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: .cm

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 67,500 (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2024 est.) less than 1

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 31.5 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 108 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 603,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 0
Medium: 1
Key ports: Douala, Ebome Marine Terminal, Kole Oil Terminal, Kome Kribi 1 Marine Terminal, Kribi Deep Sea Port, Limboh Terminal, Moudi Marine Terminal
Very small: 5
Total ports: 7 (2024)
Size unknown: 1
Ports with oil terminals: 5

Airports: 37 (2025)

Railways

Note: 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
Total: 987 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 987 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

Heliports: 1 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 198 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 91, oil tanker 42, other 63

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TJ

Environment

Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Land Use

Other: 38.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 41% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 20.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 13.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 59.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane Emissions

Other: 24 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 166.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 293.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Agriculture: 278.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 3.271 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 4.6% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; poaching; overfishing; overhunting

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 246.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 104.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 737 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 6.707 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 1.049 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.)

Particulate matter emissions: 62 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 283.15 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

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

Military & Security

Military note: 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 deployments: 750 (plus about 400 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.0%

Military expenditures 2020: 1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military and security forces: 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 (Délégation Générale à la Sûreté Nationale or DGSN): Cameroon Police (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 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)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: 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 and security service personnel strengths: estimated 40-50,000 active FAC, including the Gendarmerie (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 1,058,405 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 443,740 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index20.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4165 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.14as of 2024-Q4122 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (17/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (36/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Cameroon — vintage 2026-Q1: Cameroon factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/cameroon

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Cameroon

Area

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Current

Paul Biya

Joseph Ngute

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