Rank #35 by World Population

🇨🇲Cameroon

Cameroon has a population of 28,372,687, ranking #35 in the world. The capital is Yaounde. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .

World Bank: Lower middle income

28,372,687

Population

#35

World Rank

63.7

Life Expectancy

$1,720

GDP Per Capita

Cameroon, #35 by world population

Cameroon Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Cameroon had a population of 5,159,057 in 1960 and 29,123,744 in 2024, a 5.6× growth over 64 years. The peak was 29,123,744 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.74%.

Cameroon population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

29,123,744

Population (2024)

5,159,057

Population (1960)

29,123,744

Peak (2024)

2.74%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	5,159,057	-	-	estimate
1961	5,239,273	+80,216	+1.55%	estimate
1962	5,338,620	+99,347	+1.90%	estimate
1963	5,456,623	+118,003	+2.21%	estimate
1964	5,578,257	+121,634	+2.23%	estimate
1965	5,704,686	+126,429	+2.27%	estimate
1966	5,837,295	+132,609	+2.32%	estimate
1967	5,977,318	+140,023	+2.40%	estimate
1968	6,125,863	+148,545	+2.49%	estimate
1969	6,283,462	+157,599	+2.57%	estimate
1970	6,449,793	+166,331	+2.65%	estimate
1971	6,624,408	+174,615	+2.71%	estimate
1972	6,806,872	+182,464	+2.75%	estimate
1973	6,996,660	+189,788	+2.79%	estimate
1974	7,193,583	+196,923	+2.81%	estimate
1975	7,397,120	+203,537	+2.83%	estimate
1976	7,597,962	+200,842	+2.72%	estimate
1977	7,796,501	+198,539	+2.61%	estimate
1978	8,011,921	+215,420	+2.76%	estimate
1979	8,239,641	+227,720	+2.84%	estimate
1980	8,512,219	+272,578	+3.31%	estimate
1981	8,816,377	+304,158	+3.57%	estimate
1982	9,028,678	+212,301	+2.41%	estimate
1983	9,215,397	+186,719	+2.07%	estimate
1984	9,475,078	+259,681	+2.82%	estimate
1985	9,761,730	+286,652	+3.03%	estimate
1986	10,060,342	+298,612	+3.06%	estimate
1987	10,370,749	+310,407	+3.09%	estimate
1988	10,684,968	+314,219	+3.03%	estimate
1989	11,002,745	+317,777	+2.97%	estimate
1990	11,331,821	+329,076	+2.99%	estimate
1991	11,667,180	+335,359	+2.96%	estimate
1992	12,006,353	+339,173	+2.91%	estimate
1993	12,353,131	+346,778	+2.89%	estimate
1994	12,704,903	+351,772	+2.85%	estimate
1995	13,058,516	+353,613	+2.78%	estimate
1996	13,414,757	+356,241	+2.73%	estimate
1997	13,775,214	+360,457	+2.69%	estimate
1998	14,144,860	+369,646	+2.68%	estimate
1999	14,525,140	+380,280	+2.69%	estimate
2000	14,912,631	+387,491	+2.67%	estimate
2001	15,309,490	+396,859	+2.66%	estimate
2002	15,725,528	+416,038	+2.72%	estimate
2003	16,160,340	+434,812	+2.77%	estimate
2004	16,610,487	+450,147	+2.79%	estimate
2005	17,074,594	+464,107	+2.79%	estimate
2006	17,550,407	+475,813	+2.79%	estimate
2007	18,049,896	+499,489	+2.85%	estimate
2008	18,574,056	+524,160	+2.90%	estimate
2009	19,113,974	+539,918	+2.91%	estimate
2010	19,668,066	+554,092	+2.90%	estimate
2011	20,232,304	+564,238	+2.87%	estimate
2012	20,809,529	+577,225	+2.85%	estimate
2013	21,402,376	+592,847	+2.85%	estimate
2014	22,059,893	+657,517	+3.07%	estimate
2015	22,763,414	+703,521	+3.19%	estimate
2016	23,454,161	+690,747	+3.03%	estimate
2017	24,128,601	+674,440	+2.88%	estimate
2018	24,806,383	+677,782	+2.81%	estimate
2019	25,506,095	+699,712	+2.82%	estimate
2020	26,210,558	+704,463	+2.76%	estimate
2021	26,915,758	+705,200	+2.69%	estimate
2022	27,632,771	+717,013	+2.66%	estimate
2023	28,372,687	+739,916	+2.68%	estimate
2024	29,123,744	+751,057	+2.65%	estimate

Demographics

Population	28,372,687
Population Growth Rate	2.64%
Urban Population	55.1%
Fertility Rate	4.32 births/woman
Life Expectancy	63.7 years
Infant Mortality Rate	41.3 per 1,000
Literacy Rate	-

Economy & Trade

$1,720

GDP Per Capita

3.6%

Unemployment Rate

Lower middle income

Income Level

37.9%

Trade (% of GDP)

Health & Education

4.6%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.14

Physicians per 1,000

2.8%

Education Expenditure (% GDP)

41.3

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

72.0%

Electricity Access

40.1%

Internet Users

Mobile Subs per 100

60.0

People per km2

-4,798

Net Migration

Environment

42.7%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi

Compare Cameroon

vs Afghanistan vs Albania vs Algeria vs American Samoa

Cameroon in global context

Cameroon is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Botswana (2,480,244)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Cameroon has a population of 28,372,687, ranking #35 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 2.64%.

Life expectancy in Cameroon is 63.7 years. The infant mortality rate is 41.3 per 1,000 live births.

Cameroon's GDP per capita is $1,720. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.

55.1% of Cameroon's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 60.0 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Cameroon is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

Cameroon is a country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of 28,372,687. The population is expanding fast — roughly 2.6% annually.

Cameroon is a lower-income economy, with GDP per capita of about $1,720. Life expectancy is 63.7 years, below the global average, with a fertility rate of 4.3 births per woman, and 55.1% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.