Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Cameroon
Cameroon: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median was 11.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Cameroon, 1996–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Cameroon is 11.2%, measured in 2021.
That represents a change of down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Cameroon peaked at 13.9% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 1996.
Cameroon ranks 17th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 5.5% | — |
| 2001 | 6.8% | +23.0% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | +24.6% |
| 2014 | 13.9% | +64.5% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | -19.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 7.6% | 6.8% | 8.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 14 United States of America 12.1% compare
- 15 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 11.4% compare
- 16 Ecuador 11.4% compare
- 18 Peru 11.1% compare
- 19 Montenegro 11.0% compare
- 20 Jamaica 11.0% compare
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 relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Cameroon?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Cameroon was 11.2% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 13.9% in 2014.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 1996.
- How does Cameroon rank for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
- Cameroon ranks 17th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.