Geography
Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Cameroon
AfricaLand of Contrasts
Expect the unexpected when it comes to Cameroon. Discover more about this complex place.
Expect the unexpected when it comes to Cameroon. #19 in renewable energy but near the bottom in life expectancy. Discover more about this complex place.
6.0, 12.0 - Africa
Area
475K km²
Pop.
31.52M
Stats
121
Reality brief
Cameroon is a country in Africa with a population of 31.52M and an area of 475,442 km². Life expectancy is 63.7 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Land Area
472.7K km²#52globally
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Population Density
60.02 /km²#143globally
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Internet Users (%)
42%#185globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
GDP Per Capita
$4,919.14#159globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Human Development Index
0.59#155globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Cameroon
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official).
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Cameroon.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Cameroon
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Douala
Littoral, Cameroon
Famous77/100
Open city guide
Yaoundé
Centre, Cameroon
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Maroua
Far North, Cameroon
Famous70/100
Open city guide
Bamenda
North-West, Cameroon
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Ébolowa
South, Cameroon
Famous63/100
Open city guide
Bafoussam
West, Cameroon
Notable58/100
Open city guide
Bertoua
East, Cameroon
Notable57/100
Open city guide
Ngaoundéré
Adamaoua, Cameroon
Notable57/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Child Mortality
67.2 per 1k births#16globallyTop stat
Deaths before age 5 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
Teen Birth Rate
106.66 per 1k#18globallyTop stat
The number of births per 1,000 women aged 15-19.
Renewable Energy (%)
79.2%#19globallyTop stat
The percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydro.
Inequality (Gini)
42.2#17globallyTop stat
A measure of income inequality where 0 means everyone earns the same and 100 means one person has everything.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #156 in smoking rate
#1566.5%Smoking Rate
The percentage of people aged 15 and older who use tobacco products.
Only ranks #174 in spirits consumption
#1740.01 L/person/yrSpirits Consumption
Liters of spirits consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Only ranks #219 in median age
#21917.8 yearsMedian Age
The age that splits the population in half: half are younger, half are older. UN WPP estimate as of 1 July 2023.
Only ranks #198 in elderly population (%)
#1982.8%Elderly Population (%)
Share of the population ages 65 and older, from World Bank Open Data.
Ranks #20 globally in dependency ratio
#2079.33% of working-age pop.Dependency Ratio
Dependents as a share of the working-age population, from World Bank Open Data.
Compared with the region
How Cameroon Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Cameroon
Africa avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $5,588.99
- Region avg
- $7,919.74
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Cameroon$5,588.99
Africa$7,919.74
World$31,844.55
-82% below worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 63.7 years
- Region avg
- 65.4 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Cameroon63.7 years
Africa65.4 years
World73.7 years
-14% below worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.59
- Region avg
- 0.58
- World avg
- 0.74
Cameroon0.59
Africa0.58
World0.74
-21% below worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 42%
- Region avg
- 43.08%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Cameroon42%
Africa43.08%
World70.29%
-40% below worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Cameroon
Country briefing
Powerful chiefdoms ruled much of the area of present-day Cameroon before it became a German colony known as Kamerun in 1884.
Read the full Factbook note
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 & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
- 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
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
- 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
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
- 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.)
- 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.)
- Major Cities
- 4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- Yaounde
- Capital Coordinates
- 3 52 N, 11 31 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Cameroon
- Name Origin
- 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"
- Independence
- 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
- National Symbols
- lion
- National Anthem
- "O Cameroun, Berceau de Nos Ancêtres" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 3 (two natural and one cultural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- 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
- Industries
- petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
- Agricultural Products
- cassava, plantains, oil palm fruit, maize, taro, tomatoes, sorghum, sugarcane, bananas, vegetables (2023)
- Export Partners
- Netherlands 21%, France 14%, UAE 13%, India 9%, China 8% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, cocoa beans, wood (2023)
- Import Partners
- China 43%, France 6%, India 6%, Belgium 4%, UAE 4% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- garments, refined petroleum, plastic products, wheat, rice (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military 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
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- 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.)
- 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)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #16
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Suicide Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Health Spending (% GDP)
Obesity Rate
Life Expectancy
Doctors (per 1,000)
Smoking Rate
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #17
Demographics12 statsBest: #17
Youth Population (%)
Teen Birth Rate
Dependency Ratio
Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Population
Land Area
Death Rate
Urban Population (%)
Population Density
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Environment9 statsBest: #19
Renewable Energy (%)
Forest Area
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Forest Coverage (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
Irrigated Land
290 km²#121
Protected Land (%)
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Lifestyle4 statsBest: #34
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #36
Land Border Length
5.0K km#36
Highest Elevation
4.0K m#43
Lowest Elevation
0 m#68
Coastline Length
402 km#116
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #68
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #74
Inflation Rate
GDP (Nominal)
GDP Growth Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Unemployment Rate
High-Tech Exports (%)
Government Debt (% GDP)
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #85
Education & Future3 statsBest: #123
Energy1 statsBest: #123
Electric Generating Capacity
1.80M kW#123
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Cameroon
#51 in Population
The total number of people living in the country.
Top 20% globally
31.52M
Frequently Asked Questions about Cameroon
What is the population of Cameroon?
Cameroon has a population of 31.52M, ranking #51 globally by population.
What continent is Cameroon in?
Cameroon is located in Africa. It has an area of 475,442 km².
What is the life expectancy in Cameroon?
Life expectancy in Cameroon is 63.7 years, ranking #193 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Cameroon?
Cameroon's GDP per capita (PPP) is $5,588.99, ranking #160 globally.
What is Cameroon known for in global statistics?
Cameroon ranks particularly high in Population (#51), Land Area (#52), Population Density (#143).
What is Cameroon's Human Development Index?
Cameroon has an HDI of 0.588, ranking #155 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Cameroon?
Cameroon has a population density of 60.0 people per km², ranking #143 globally.