Child mortality rate in Cameroon
Cameroon: Child mortality rate was 6.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Child mortality rate in Cameroon, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children.
Analysis
In 2023, child mortality rate in Cameroon stood at 6.8%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 30.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Cameroon peaked at 37.1% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2023.
That places Cameroon 17th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 33.1% | 28.9% | 37.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 25.3% | 22.1% | 28.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.5% | 18.1% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.5% | 13.9% | 17.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.4% | 13.9% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.9% | 11.4% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.2% | 7.7% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 14 Liberia 7.1% compare
- 15 Equatorial Guinea 7.1% compare
- 16 Guinea-Bissau 6.9% compare
- 18 Cote d'Ivoire 6.7% compare
- 19 Madagascar 6.6% compare
- 20 Angola 6.4% compare
More health data for Cameroon
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 786.1 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 12,841 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 4 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 4 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 244,584 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 245,558 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 251,698 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 252,310 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 260,306 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 260,630 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Cameroon?
- Child mortality rate in Cameroon was 6.8% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 37.1% in 1950.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2023.
- How does Cameroon rank for child mortality rate?
- Cameroon ranks 17th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of children who die before reaching the age of 5.