Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Cameroon
Cameroon: Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines was 26.7% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Share in poverty relative to 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 %.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 26.7% for share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Cameroon peaked at 56.5% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 26.7%, in 2021.
That places Cameroon 19th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 56.5% | — |
| 2001 | 30.8% | -45.4% |
| 2007 | 36.0% | +16.9% |
| 2014 | 29.0% | -19.4% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | -8.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 26.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.7%, 2.7× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 26.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.8%, 69% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 56.5% | 56.5% | 56.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 33.4% | 30.8% | 36.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.0% | 29.0% | 29.0% | 1 |
| 2020s | 26.7% | 26.7% | 26.7% | 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 share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Cameroon?
- Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Cameroon was 26.7% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share in poverty relative to different poverty lines recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 56.5% in 1996.
- What is the lowest share in poverty relative to different poverty lines recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.7% in 2021.
- How does Cameroon rank for share in poverty relative to different poverty lines?
- Cameroon ranks 19th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share in poverty relative to different poverty lines rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines. 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 $3 per day.