Population growth in Cameroon
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Cameroon increased from 5.18 million to 27.20 million people. This is a growth of 425.4 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Cameroon was recorded in 1987 with 3.23 percent. The smallest increase in 2015 with 1.46 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Cameroon rose by 0.32 years from 2012 to 2021 from 18.18 to 18.50 years (median value).
Around 58 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.7 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Cameroon
Population development in Cameroon since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Cameroon | Change Cameroon | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.29 M | 2.09 % | 42.8 ‰ | 21.9 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 5.40 M | 2.15 % | 43.1 ‰ | 21.7 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 5.52 M | 2.21 % | 43.4 ‰ | 21.4 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 5.64 M | 2.26 % | 43.6 ‰ | 21.1 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 5.77 M | 2.31 % | 43.9 ‰ | 20.8 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 5.91 M | 2.36 % | 44.1 ‰ | 20.5 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 6.05 M | 2.41 % | 44.3 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 6.20 M | 2.46 % | 44.4 ‰ | 19.9 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 6.36 M | 2.51 % | 44.6 ‰ | 19.5 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 6.52 M | 2.56 % | 44.7 ‰ | 19.2 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 6.69 M | 2.61 % | 44.8 ‰ | 18.8 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 6.87 M | 2.65 % | 44.9 ‰ | 18.4 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 7.05 M | 2.70 % | 45.0 ‰ | 18.0 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 7.25 M | 2.76 % | 45.1 ‰ | 17.7 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 7.45 M | 2.81 % | 45.2 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 7.66 M | 2.86 % | 45.4 ‰ | 16.9 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 7.89 M | 2.91 % | 45.5 ‰ | 16.6 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 8.12 M | 2.96 % | 45.7 ‰ | 16.3 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 8.37 M | 3.01 % | 45.9 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 8.62 M | 3.06 % | 46.1 ‰ | 15.7 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 8.89 M | 3.10 % | 46.3 ‰ | 15.4 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 9.17 M | 3.13 % | 46.4 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 9.46 M | 3.16 % | 46.4 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 9.76 M | 3.19 % | 46.4 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 10.07 M | 3.21 % | 46.3 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 10.40 M | 3.22 % | 46.1 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 10.73 M | 3.23 % | 45.9 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 11.08 M | 3.21 % | 45.6 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 11.43 M | 3.16 % | 45.2 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 11.78 M | 3.10 % | 44.8 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 12.14 M | 3.04 % | 44.4 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 12.50 M | 2.98 % | 44.0 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 12.86 M | 2.92 % | 43.5 ‰ | 14.4 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 13.23 M | 2.85 % | 43.1 ‰ | 14.6 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 13.60 M | 2.79 % | 42.7 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 13.97 M | 2.73 % | 42.3 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 14.34 M | 2.67 % | 42.0 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 14.72 M | 2.64 % | 41.8 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 15.11 M | 2.64 % | 41.6 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 15.51 M | 2.66 % | 41.4 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 15.93 M | 2.67 % | 41.3 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 16.36 M | 2.69 % | 41.2 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 16.80 M | 2.71 % | 41.1 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 17.26 M | 2.73 % | 41.0 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 17.73 M | 2.75 % | 40.8 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 18.22 M | 2.76 % | 40.6 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 18.73 M | 2.78 % | 40.4 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 19.25 M | 2.79 % | 40.1 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 19.79 M | 2.79 % | 39.8 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 20.34 M | 2.79 % | 39.4 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 20.91 M | 2.78 % | 39.0 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 21.49 M | 2.77 % | 38.5 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 22.08 M | 2.76 % | 38.0 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 22.68 M | 2.74 % | 37.8 ‰ | 9.5 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 23.01 M | 1.46 % | 37.8 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 23.71 M | 3.04 % | 37.7 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 24.39 M | 2.87 % | 37.4 ‰ | 8.6 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 25.08 M | 2.80 % | 36.7 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 25.78 M | 2.81 % | 36.1 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 26.49 M | 2.75 % | 35.5 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 27.20 M | 2.67 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Cameroon
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Cameroon increased by about 709,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 8.4 per 1,000 people (~ 217,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 35.5 per 1,000 people (~ 915,000 births). As a result, around 11,000 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 219,836 in Cameroon. The number of births was 881,075 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life in country comparison
Public holidays in the Netherlands 2023-2027