Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Cameroon
Cameroon: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 5.30 million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Cameroon, 1996–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 5.30 million people for distribution of population between different poverty lines in 2021. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Cameroon peaked at 5.30 million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 859,885 people, in 1996.
Cameroon ranks 63rd of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 859,885 people | — |
| 2001 | 1.86 million people | +115.9% |
| 2007 | 2.20 million people | +18.7% |
| 2014 | 4.52 million people | +105.3% |
| 2021 | 5.30 million people | +17.2% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 5.30 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.74 million people, 1.4× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 5.30 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.29 million people, 4.1× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 859,885 people | 859,885 people | 859,885 people | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.03 million people | 1.86 million people | 2.20 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.52 million people | 4.52 million people | 4.52 million people | 1 |
| 2020s | 5.30 million people | 5.30 million people | 5.30 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More poverty & inequality data for Cameroon
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.32 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,770 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 13.04 (2019)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 13.0% (2019)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in Cameroon?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Cameroon was 5.30 million people in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 5.30 million people in 2021.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 859,885 people in 1996.
- How does Cameroon rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Cameroon ranks 63rd out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $10 per day.