Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in Cameroon
Cameroon: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day was 74.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
74.0%
World rank
26th
of 120 countries
All-time high
89.8%
in 1996
All-time low
72.7%
in 2014
Years of data
5
1996–2021
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day 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 74.0% for poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in 2021.
The figure is up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in Cameroon peaked at 89.8% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 72.7%, in 2014.
Cameroon ranks 26th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 89.8% | — |
| 2001 | 82.3% | -8.4% |
| 2007 | 82.6% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 72.7% | -12.0% |
| 2021 | 74.0% | +1.8% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 74.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71.2%, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 74.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 89.9%, 82% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 89.8% | 89.8% | 89.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 82.4% | 82.3% | 82.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 72.7% | 72.7% | 72.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 74.0% | 74.0% | 74.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 23 Senegal 78.6% compare
- 24 Gambia 78.2% compare
- 25 Guinea 76.6% compare
- 27 Philippines 73.9% compare
- 28 Bangladesh 71.5% compare
- 29 Mauritania 71.2% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Cameroon
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ 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 poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in Cameroon?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in Cameroon was 74.0% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 89.8% in 1996.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.7% in 2014.
- How does Cameroon rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day?
- Cameroon ranks 26th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. 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 Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $8.30 per day.