2023 Edition

Background

Much of the area of present-day Cameroon was ruled by powerful chiefdoms before becoming a German colony in 1884 known as Kamerun. 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 has persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

Area

land

472,710 sq km

total

475,440 sq km

water

2,730 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania

Climate

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

Coastline

402 km

Elevation

highest point

Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

667 m

Geographic coordinates

6 00 N, 12 00 E

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; throughout the country there are 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

290 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

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

total

5,018 km

Land use

agricultural land

20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.)

forest

41.7% (2018 est.)

other

37.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Major aquifers

Lake Chad Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Chad) - 10,360-25,900 sq kmnote - 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)

Map references

Africa

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 volcanoesvolcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986

Natural resources

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Population distribution

population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Age structure

0-14 years

41.69% (male 6,337,141/female 6,226,100)

15-64 years

55.12% (male 8,231,473/female 8,379,699)

65 years and over

3.19% (2023 est.) (male 447,656/female 513,663)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

4.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

35.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

2.9% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

10.7%

women married by age 18

29.8%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11% (2018/19)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

19.3% (2018)

Current health expenditure

3.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Demographic profile

Cameroon has a large youth population, with more than 60% of the populace under the age of 25 as of 2020. Fertility is falling but remains at a high level, especially among poor, rural, and uneducated women, in part because of inadequate access to contraception. Life expectancy remains low at about 55 years due to the prevalence of HIV and AIDs and an elevated maternal mortality rate, which has remained high since 1990. Cameroon, particularly the northern region, is vulnerable to food insecurity largely because of government mismanagement, corruption, high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, and natural disasters. Despite economic growth in some regions, poverty is on the rise, and is most prevalent in rural areas, which are especially affected by a shortage of jobs, declining incomes, poor school and health care infrastructure, and a lack of clean water and sanitation. Underinvestment in social safety nets and ineffective public financial management also contribute to Cameroon’s high rate of poverty.  The activities of Boko Haram, other armed groups, and counterinsurgency operations have worsened food insecurity in the Far North region.   International migration has been driven by unemployment (including fewer government jobs), poverty, the search for educational opportunities, and corruption. The US and Europe are preferred destinations, but, with tighter immigration restrictions in these countries, young Cameroonians are increasingly turning to neighboring states, such as Gabon and Nigeria, South Africa, other parts of Africa, and the Near and Far East. Cameroon’s limited resources make it dependent on UN support to host more than 480,000 refugees and asylum seekers as of December 2022. These refugees and asylum seekers are primarily from the Central African Republic and Nigeria.  Internal and external displacement have grown dramatically in recent years.  Boko Haram's attacks and counterattacks by government forces in the Far North since 2014 have increased the number of internally displaced people.  Armed conflict between separatists and Cameroon's military in the Northwest and Southwest since 2016 have displaced hundreds of thousands of the country's Anglophone minority.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.9

potential support ratio

20.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

82.3

youth dependency ratio

77.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 56.2% of population

improved: total

total: 78.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 43.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 21.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.9% of population

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Bamileke-Bamu 24.3%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 21.6%, Biu-Mandara 14.6%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 11%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Grassfields 7.7%, Kako, Meka/Pygmy 3.3%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 2.7%, Southwestern Bantu 0.7%, foreign/other ethnic group 4.5% (2018 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.22 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

42.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

52.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

47.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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)

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.6 years

male

61.9 years

total population

63.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

71.6% (2018)

male

82.6%

total population

77.1%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Cameroon is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

438 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

19.1 years

male

18.5 years

total

18.8 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.1 years (2018 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Cameroonian

noun

Cameroonian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

11.4% (2016)

Physicians density

0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

30,135,732 (2023 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

Population growth rate

2.73% (2023 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 38.3%, Protestant 25.5%, other Christian 6.9%, Muslim 24.4%, animist 2.2%, other 0.5%, none 2.2% (2018 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 27.7% of population

improved: total

total: 59.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 83.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 72.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 40.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 16.8% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2016)

male

13 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.4% (2020 est.)

male

13.2% (2020 est.)

total

7.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.5 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.3% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7.3%

male

6%

total

6.6% (2021 est.)

Administrative divisions

10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extreme-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)

Capital

etymology

founded as a German colonial settlement of Jaunde in 1888 and named after the local Yaunde (Ewondo) people

geographic coordinates

3 52 N, 11 31 E

name

Yaounde

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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; amended 2008

history

several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Cameroon

conventional short form

Cameroon

etymology

in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water; over time the designation became Cameroon in English; this is the only instance where a country is named after a crustacean

former

Kamerun, French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

local long form

Republique du Cameroun (French)/Republic of Cameroon (English)

local short form

Cameroun/Cameroon

Diplomatic representation from the US

branch office(s)

Douala

chief of mission

Ambassador Christopher J. LAMORA (since 21 March 2022)

email address and website

YaoundeACS@state.govhttps://cm.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaoundé

FAX

[237] 22220-1500, Ext. 4531

mailing address

2520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC  20521-2520

telephone

[237] 22251-4000/[237] 22220-1500

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016)

email address and website

cs@cameroonembassyusa.orghttps://www.cameroonembassyusa.org/mainFolder/index.html

FAX

[1] (202) 387-3826

telephone

[1] (202) 265-8790

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

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)

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2025); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Joseph Dion NGUTE (since 4 January 2019); Deputy Prime Minister Amadou ALI (since 2014)

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the "star of unity"

note

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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

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 single 9-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

mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in 49 single and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - CDPM 100%; composition as of October 2023 - men 69, women 31, percent of women 31%National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 139, UNDP 7, SDF 5, PCRN 5, UDC 4, FSNC 3, MDR 2, Union of Socialist Movements 2; other 13; composition as of October 2023 - men 119, women 61, percent of women 33.9%; note - total Parliament percent of women 31.1%

elections

Senate - last held on 12 March 2023 (next to be held in 2028)National Assembly - last held on 9 February 2020

National anthem

lyrics/music

Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME

name

"O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)

note

note: adopted 1957; Cameroon's anthem, also known as "Chant de Ralliement" (The Rallying Song), has been used unofficially since 1948 and officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Dja Faunal Reserve; Sangha Trinational Forest

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both natural)

National holiday

State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy and Development [Marcel YONDO]Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA]Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC [Maurice KAMTO]Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation or PCRN [Cabral LIBII]Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon or FSNC [Issa Tchiroma BAKARY]Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]Progressive Movement or MP [Jean-Jacques EKINDI]Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau] [Cecil ODHIAMBO] Union of Socialist Movements NA

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, plantains, maize, oil palm fruit, taro, sugar cane, sorghum, tomatoes, bananas, vegetables

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

2.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

45.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$7.405 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$6.118 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B (2006)

Moody's rating

B2 (2016)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$1.695 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$1.512 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.795 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$7.364 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$9.375 billion (31 December 2017 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

Exchange rates

Currency

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

580.657 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

555.446 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

585.911 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$7.731 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$6.124 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$7.449 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, cocoa beans, lumber, gold, bananas (2021)

Exports - partners

China 17%, Netherlands 14%, Italy 9%, United Arab Emirates 8%, India 7%, United States 6%, Belgium 6%, Spain 5%, France 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

21.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

11.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

66.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-20.9% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.3% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

16.7% (2017 est.)

industry

26.5% (2017 est.)

services

56.8% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$34.99 billion (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

46.6 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

35.4% (2001)

lowest 10%

37.5%

Imports

Imports 2019

$9.085 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$7.212 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$9.027 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, scrap vessels, rice, special purpose ships, packaged medicines (2019)

Imports - partners

China 28%, Nigeria 15%, France 9%, Belgium 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.22% (2021 est.)

Industries

petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.45% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

2.44% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.27% (2021 est.)

Labor force

11.81 million (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

70%

industry

13%

services

17% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

37.5% (2014 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

32.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

36.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$96.852 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$97.103 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$100.648 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

3.48% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

0.26% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.65% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$3,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$3,700 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$3,700 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$2.26 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$3.197 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2018

$3.459 billion (31 December 2018 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.87% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

3.64% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

3.84% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

3.87% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7.3%

male

6%

total

6.6% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.935 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

5.171 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

7.105 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

6,508,840,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

19 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.754 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.864 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

24.8% (2021)

electrification - total population

65.4% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

94.6% (2021)

population without electricity

10 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

32.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

67.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

6.187 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

986.189 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

1,603,156,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

2,678,486,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

135.071 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

62,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

20,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

200 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

37,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

63,200 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

8,545 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

14,090 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

39,080 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2020 est.)

total

722,579 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), broadcasting on both a TV and radio network, was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until August 2007, when the government finally issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operate but are subject to closure at any time; foreign news services required to partner with state-owned national station (2019)

Internet country code

.cm

Internet users

percent of population

46% (2021 est.)

total

12.42 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

only a little above 3 per 100 persons for fixed-line subscriptions; mobile-cellular usage has increased sharply, reaching a subscribership base of roughly 83 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Cameroon was for many years one of the few countries in Africa with only two competing mobile operators; the investment programs among operators over the next few years will considerably boost mobile broadband services in rural areas of the country, many of which are under served by fixed-line infrastructure; the government has also been supportive, having launched its ‘Cameroon Digital 2020’ program, aimed at improving connectivity nationally; improved submarine and terrestrial cable connectivity has substantially increased international bandwidth, in turn leading to reductions in access prices for consumers; other projects such as Acceleration of the Digital Transformation of Cameroon are aimed at developing the digital economy (2022)

international

country code - 237; landing points for the SAT-3/WASC, SAIL, ACE, NCSCS, Ceiba-2, and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe, South America, and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

739,572 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

83 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

22,442,414 (2021 est.)

Airports

33 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

11

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

22

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TJ

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 2, general cargo 45, oil tanker 33, other 41

total

121 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

70,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

265,136 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

3

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Pipelines

53 km gas, 5 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,107 km oil, 35 km water (2013)

Ports and terminals

note

Garoua (Benoue)

oil terminal(s)

Limboh Terminal

river port(s)

Douala (Wouri)

Railways

narrow gauge

987 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

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)

Roadways

paved

5,133 km (2016)

total

77,589 km (2016)

unpaved

72,456 km (2016)

Waterways

(2010) (major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua)

Military - note

the FAC is a professional and politically independent military; the Army and the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) are organized and equipped for mobile operations; the Army has 4 motorized infantry brigades spread amongst 5 military regions; the US-trained, 5,000-man BIR has up to 9 battalions, detachments, or groups consisting of airborne, air mobile, amphibious, light, and motorized infantry, armored reconnaissance, counterterrorism, and support units, such as artillery and intelligence; the BIR reportedly receives better training, equipment, and pay than regular Army unitsthe ground forces are largely focused on internal security, particularly the threat from the terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa along its frontiers with Nigeria and Chad (Far North region) and an insurgency from armed Anglophone separatist groups in the North-West and South-West regions (as of 2023, this conflict had left more than 3,500 civilians dead and over 500,000 people displaced since fighting started in 2016); 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 Air Force supports both the ground and naval forces and has small numbers of light ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as attack, multipurpose, and transport helicopters (2023)

Military and security forces

Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale Republique, MNR, includes naval infantry or fusiliers marin), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Rapid Intervention Battalion (Bataillons d’Intervention Rapide or BIR), National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard (2023)

note

note 1: the National Police and the National Gendarmerie are responsible for internal security; the Police report to the General Delegation of National Security, while the Gendarmerie reports to the Secretariat of State for Defense in charge of the Gendarmerienote 2: the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) maintains its own command and control structure and reports directly to the president; the BIR is structured as a large brigade with up to 9 battalions, detachments, or groups consisting of infantry, airborne/airmobile, amphibious, armored reconnaissance, counterterrorism, and support elements, such as artillery and intelligence; the BIR receives better training, equipment, and pay than regular Army units

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 35-40,000 active-duty troops (20-25,000 ground forces, including the Rapid Intervention Battalion/BIR and Presidential Guard; 2,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 12,000 Gendarmerie) (2023)

note

note: the BIR has approximately 5,000 personnel

Military deployments

750 (plus about 350 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (May 2022)

note

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

the FAC inventory includes a wide mix of mostly older or second-hand Chinese, Russian, and Western equipment, with a limited quantity of more modern weapons received in recent years from such countries as China, France, and Russia (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

1.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

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 service age and obligation

18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years (2023)

Disputes - international

Cameroon-Central African Republic: Cameroon has deployed military troops to the border to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits Cameroon-Nigeria: Nigeria recognized Cameroon's sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula in 2006 and in completed the transfer of administration in 2013, although there are occasional, mostly local disputes in the area; the the majority of the land boundary was demarcated by 2019 with UN assistance, although there are few disagreements on the precise location of the boundary; the porous border is susceptible to crossings by the Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - West Africa terrorist groups, both of which operate in Northern Nigeria 

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1.066 million (2023) (includes far north, northwest, and southwest)

refugees (country of origin)

353,701 (Central African Republic), 120,677 (Nigeria) (2023)

Terrorist group(s)

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa

note

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 Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

8.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

30.71 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

56.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation and overgrazing result in erosion, desertification, and reduced quality of pastureland; poaching; overfishing; overhunting

Environment - international 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

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to civil insecurity and high food prices - according to a March 2023 analysis, about 3 million people were estimated to be acutely food insecure between March and August 2023, as a result of conflict, sociopolitical unrest and high food prices, as well as floods that caused population displacements and damaged standing crops (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.)

forest

41.7% (2018 est.)

other

37.7% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Lake Chad Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Chad) - 10,360-25,900 sq kmnote - 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)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

2.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

283.15 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

740 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

250 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

3,270,617 tons (2013 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

13,082 tons (2009 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

0.4% (2009 est.)