Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Cameroon
Cameroon: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 18.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% 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 50% of the median in Cameroon is 18.8%, measured in 2021.
The figure is down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Cameroon peaked at 21.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 1996.
That places Cameroon 14th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 11.1% | — |
| 2001 | 13.3% | +19.7% |
| 2007 | 15.8% | +18.7% |
| 2014 | 21.7% | +37.8% |
| 2021 | 18.8% | -13.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.1% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 14.5% | 13.3% | 15.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 21.7% | 21.7% | 21.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 18.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 11 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 19.9% compare
- 12 Guatemala 19.1% compare
- 13 United States of America 18.9% compare
- 15 North Macedonia 18.4% compare
- 16 Nicaragua 18.3% compare
- 17 Ecuador 18.1% 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 50% of the median in Cameroon?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Cameroon was 18.8% 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 50% of the median recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 21.7% in 2014.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 1996.
- How does Cameroon rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Cameroon ranks 14th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. 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 50% of the median. 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
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.