Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months) in Cameroon
Cameroon: Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months) was 39.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding in Cameroon, 1991–2019
Source: State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in % of children under 6 months.
Analysis
In 2019, exclusive breastfeeding in Cameroon stood at 39.4%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 97.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding in Cameroon peaked at 39.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 8.4%, in 1991.
Cameroon ranks 48th of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months) in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of children under 6 months | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.4% | — |
| 1998 | 12.2% | +45.2% |
| 2004 | 21.0% | +72.0% |
| 2006 | 21.1% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 19.9% | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 28.0% | +40.6% |
| 2019 | 39.4% | +40.6% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 39.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46.7%, 84% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 39.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.6%, 74% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.3% | 8.4% | 12.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.1% | 21.0% | 21.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.1% | 19.9% | 39.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More health data for Cameroon
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7821 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 12,841 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 17 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0746 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.076 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exclusive breastfeeding in Cameroon?
- Exclusive breastfeeding in Cameroon was 39.4% in 2019, according to State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 39.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.4% in 1991.
- How does Cameroon rank for exclusive breastfeeding?
- Cameroon ranks 48th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
- Is exclusive breastfeeding rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 97.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Exclusive breastfeeding refers to the percentage of children less than six months old who are fed breast milk alone (no other liquids) in the past 24 hours.