Refugees
427,166refugees and others in need of protection hosted, 2025
178,357from it, abroad, 2025
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder2025
Country page · Updated 13 Nov 2026
Cameroon
Cameroon has 30 m people (World Bank, 2025) and an economy of $59 bn a year (World Bank, 2025). It imports all of its potash supply (FAOSTAT, 2024, estimated).
Written automatically from the figures on this page.
- Population
- 30 m (2025)
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m, which shows who controls an area in practice. Borders shown do not imply endorsement.
- GDPUS$58.9billion91st of 186World Bank · 2025
- Population30million51st of 216World Bank · 2025
- GDP per personUS$1,972154th of 186World Bank · 2025
- Military, % GDP1.1% of GDP105th of 150World Bank · 2025
- CO2 per person0.3t187th of 213Global Carbon Budget · 2024
Dependencies at a glance
Cameroon imports all of its potash supply; it exports oil.
Imports mostImports someLow net tradeExporter
| Resource | Dependence | Position | Main partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | Exporter | Exports 37% of what it producesEIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025 | Malaysia, Netherlands, China (buyers) |
| Natural gas | Exporter | Exports 75% of what it produces PreliminaryEIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025 | India, Thailand, South Korea (buyers) |
| Wheat | Imports most | Imports all of the wheat it uses EstimateFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | France, Poland, Russia |
| Maize | Low net trade | Imports 2.1% of the maize it uses EstimateFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | Argentina, France |
| Rice | Imports most | Imports 81% of the rice it uses EstimateFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | India, Thailand |
| Soybeans | Low net trade | Exports 0.3% of what it produces EstimateFAOSTAT, 2023 | India, Canada |
| Potash | Imports most | Imports all of its potash supply EstimateFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025 | No partner data from the source |
| Phosphate | Imports most | Imports all of its phosphate supply EstimateFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025 | No partner data from the source |
| Arms | Supplier concentration only | Main supplier: France, 56% of importsSIPRI, 2021–2025 | France, South Africa, United States |
| Chips | Supplier concentration only | Not reported by this sourceUN Comtrade, 2025 | – |
Dependence is net imports: imports minus exports, as a share of what the country uses; for potash and phosphate, of its supply (production plus net imports). Arms and chips show supplier concentration only: the main supplier’s share of imports (arms: five-year totals of deliveries in SIPRI’s trend-indicator value, SIPRI’s measure of military capability delivered, not price or number of weapons).
- OilExporter
Exports 37% of what it produces
Main partners: Malaysia, Netherlands, China (buyers)
EIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025
- Natural gasExporter
Exports 75% of what it produces Preliminary
Main partners: India, Thailand, South Korea (buyers)
EIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025
- WheatImports most
Imports all of the wheat it uses Estimate
Main partners: France, Poland, Russia
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- MaizeLow net trade
Imports 2.1% of the maize it uses Estimate
Main partners: Argentina, France
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- RiceImports most
Imports 81% of the rice it uses Estimate
Main partners: India, Thailand
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- SoybeansLow net trade
Exports 0.3% of what it produces Estimate
Main partners: India, Canada
FAOSTAT, 2023
- PotashImports most
Imports all of its potash supply Estimate
Main partners: No partner data from the source
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025
- PhosphateImports most
Imports all of its phosphate supply Estimate
Main partners: No partner data from the source
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025
- ArmsSupplier concentration only
Main supplier: France, 56% of imports
Main partners: France, South Africa, United States
SIPRI, 2021–2025
- ChipsSupplier concentration only
Not reported by this source
UN Comtrade, 2025
Source: EIA; FAOSTAT; SIPRIyear in each rowUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Dependencies toolMoney and reserves
Cameroon’s economy produced $59 bn in 2025.
GDP, 2000–2025
Source: World Bank Indicators2000–2025Updated 13 Nov 2026
Economic growth3.2%2025 · 95th of 186 · World Bank
Inflation3.4%2025 · 73rd of 169 · World Bank
Unemployment3.6%2025 · 121st of 181 · World Bank
ReservesUS$5.06billion2024 · 97th of 164 · World Bank
Trade34% of GDP2024 · 162nd of 172 · World Bank
Foreign investment inUS$599million2025 · 116th of 200 · World Bank
People
Cameroon had 30 m people in 2025.
Population, 1950–2100
Projection: UN projection, medium variant, after 2023Range between the UN low- and high-fertility scenarios
Source: UN World Population ProspectsUpdated 13 Nov 2026Projection
Cameroon’s population by age
1950200020502100
Source: UN World Population Prospects1950–2100Updated 13 Nov 2026Projection
Births per woman4.322023 · 18th of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Median age17.82023 · 220th of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Aged 65 and over2.8%2025, Projection, medium variant · UN WPP 2024
Climate and hazards
Cameroon emitted 9.6 Mt of CO2 from fossil fuels and cement in 2024.
Cameroon’s CO2 emissions, million tonnes, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data CO21990–2024Updated 13 Nov 2026
CO2 emissions10Mt2024 · 111th of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 per person0.3t2024 · 187th of 213 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 since 1750309Mt2024 · 115th of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
Water stress0.02023 · 150th of 164 · WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)
More figures
Shown only where a source covers Cameroon.
Sanctions
3entries on the US, EU and UK lists give it as an address or nationality: EU 1 and UK 2
Counts entries (people, companies, ships and aircraft), not how strict the measures are.
Source: US CSL; EU sanctions list; UK Sanctions ListUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Chinese loans and grants
US$8.97billioncommitted by Chinese state lenders, 2000–2021
Source: AidData Chinese development finance2000–2021
Cyber incidents
2publicly known incidents affecting Cameroon, 2000–2024
Counts compare documented incidents, not how often a country is targeted. Who they were attributed to
Source: EuRepoC Global Dataset of Cyber Incidents 1.3.2 (4 Mar 2025), CC BY-NC 4.02000–2024
All figures
54 measures on this site have a recent figure for Cameroon.
| GDP | $59 bn | 2025 | 91st of 186 | World Bank |
| GDP per person | $1,972 | 2025 | 154th of 186 | World Bank |
| Economic growth | 3.2% | 2025 | 95th of 186 | World Bank |
| Inflation | 3.4% | 2025 | 73rd of 169 | World Bank |
| Government debt | 40% | 2025 | 128th of 191 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Government budget balance | −2.1% | 2025 | 82nd of 195 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Current account balance | Estimate | 2025 | 129th of 194 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Unemployment | 3.6% | 2025 | 121st of 181 | World Bank |
| Reserves, including gold | $5.1 bn | 2024 | 97th of 164 | World Bank |
| Trade | 34% | 2024 | 162nd of 172 | World Bank |
| Foreign investment in | $599 m | 2025 | 116th of 200 | World Bank |
| Remittances received | 1.3% | 2024 | 100th of 162 | World Bank |
| Population | 30 m | 2025 | 51st of 216 | World Bank |
| Population with UN projections | 28 m | 2023 | 52nd of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Births per woman | 4.32 | 2023 | 18th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Median age | 17.8 | 2023 | 220th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 63.7 | 2023 | 215th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Refugees from the country | 178,357 | 2025 | 31st of 206 | UNHCR |
| Refugees and others needing protection, by host | 427,166 | 2025 | 29th of 176 | UNHCR |
| Refugees hosted per 1,000 people | 14.3 | 2025 | 51st of 176 | UNHCR |
| People displaced inside the country | 1.0 m | 2025 | 15th of 38 | UNHCR |
| Crude oil production | 59 kb/d | 2025 | 49th of 214 | EIA |
| Oil consumption | 39 kb/d | 2024 | 117th of 212 | EIA |
| Natural gas production | Preliminary | 2024 | 56th of 213 | EIA |
| Natural gas consumption | 0.6 bcm | 2024 | 97th of 213 | EIA |
| Electricity generated | 7 TWh | 2024 | 116th of 193 | Ember |
| Low-carbon electricity | 73% | 2024 | 51st of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from coal | 0% | 2024 | 82nd of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from wind and solar | 0.6% | 2024 | 157th of 193 | Ember |
| Wheat production | 0.0 Mt | 2024 | 118th of 123 | FAOSTAT |
| Wheat imports | 1.0 Mt | 2024 | 44th of 180 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize production | 2.2 Mt | 2024 | 43rd of 169 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize imports | 0.0 Mt | 2024 | 103rd of 196 | FAOSTAT |
| Rice production | 0.2 Mt | 2024 | 56th of 135 | FAOSTAT |
| Rice imports | 1.0 Mt | 2024 | 15th of 197 | FAOSTAT |
| Soybean production | 0.1 Mt | 2024 | 41st of 108 | FAOSTAT |
| Soybean imports | 0.0 Mt | 2023 | 171st of 181 | FAOSTAT |
| Potash fertiliser use | 0.04 Mt | 2024 | 62nd of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| Phosphate fertiliser use | 0.01 Mt | 2024 | 92nd of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| CO2 emissions | 10 Mt | 2024 | 111th of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 per person | 0.3 t | 2024 | 187th of 213 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 emitted since 1750 | 309 Mt | 2024 | 115th of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Net CO2 imports through trade | 7.1% | 2023 | 83rd of 120 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Water stress | 0.0 | 2023 | 150th of 164 | WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0) |
| Water from abroad | 4% | 2023 | 106th of 193 | FAO AQUASTAT |
| Military spending, share of GDP | 1.1% | 2025 | 105th of 150 | World Bank |
| Military spending | $627 m | 2025 | 92nd of 150 | World Bank |
| Deaths in organised violence | 375 | 2025 | 26th of 61 | UCDP |
| Arms imports | 3 TIV m | 2023 | 113th of 125 | SIPRI |
| People using the internet | 46% | 2024 | 149th of 182 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports | $189 m | 2024 | 90th of 162 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports, share of service exports | 10% | 2024 | 53rd of 162 | World Bank |
| Sanctions list entries (US, EU, UK) | 3 | 2026 | 150th of 181 | US CSL |
| Chinese loans and grants committed | $118 m | 2021 | 39th of 122 | AidData, Global Chinese Development Finance Dataset 3.0 |
Sources for this page
- World Bank IndicatorsGDP, GDP per person, Economic growth, Inflation, Unemployment, Reserves, …
- IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026Debt, Budget balance, Current account
- UN World Population ProspectsPopulation (UN), Births per woman, Median age, Life expectancy
- UNHCR Refugee Data FinderRefugees from, Refugees hosted, Refugees per 1,000, Internally displaced
- U.S. Energy Information AdministrationOil output, Oil use, Gas output, Gas use, Dependencies at a glance
- Ember electricity dataElectricity, Low-carbon electricity, Electricity from coal, Electricity from wind and solar
- FAOSTATWheat production, Wheat imports, Maize production, Maize imports, Rice production, Rice imports, …
- Our World in Data CO2CO2 emissions, CO2 per person, CO2 since 1750, Net CO2 imports through trade
- WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)Water stress
- FAO AQUASTATWater from abroad
- UCDP Georeferenced Event DatasetConflict deaths
- SIPRI Arms Transfers DatabaseArms imports, Dependencies at a glance
- US Consolidated Screening ListSanctions list entries, Sanctions
- AidData Chinese development financeChinese loans and grants
- EU financial sanctions listSanctions
- UK Sanctions ListSanctions
- EuRepoC cyber incidentsCyber incidents
Page last updated 13 Nov 2026How we measure