Income share held by highest 20% in Cameroon
Cameroon: Income share held by highest 20% was 47.9% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Income share held by highest 20% in Cameroon, 1996–2021
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 47.9% for income share held by highest 20% in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share held by highest 20% in Cameroon peaked at 51.7% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 47.9%, in 2021.
That places Cameroon 20th out of 123 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Income share held by highest 20% in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 51.7% | — |
| 2001 | 49.0% | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 49.1% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 51.7% | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 47.9% | -7.4% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 47.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.1%, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 47.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 45.2%, 1.1× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.7% | 51.7% | 51.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 49.0% | 49.0% | 49.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 51.7% | 51.7% | 51.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 47.9% | 47.9% | 47.9% | 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 income share held by highest 20% in Cameroon?
- Income share held by highest 20% in Cameroon was 47.9% in 2021, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 51.7% in 1996.
- What is the lowest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.9% in 2021.
- How does Cameroon rank for income share held by highest 20%?
- Cameroon ranks 20th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
- Is income share held by highest 20% rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Income share held by highest 20%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.