Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Cameroon
Cameroon: Life expectancy at birth, by sex was 61.52 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
61.52 years
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
215th
of 236 countries
All-time high
61.52 years
in 2023
All-time low
29.45 years
in 1960
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Cameroon, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, by sex in Cameroon is 61.52 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, by sex in Cameroon peaked at 61.52 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 29.45 years, in 1960.
That places Cameroon 215th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 31.58 years | — |
| 1951 | 32.48 years | +2.8% |
| 1952 | 33.36 years | +2.7% |
| 1953 | 34.41 years | +3.1% |
| 1954 | 35.53 years | +3.3% |
| 1955 | 36.64 years | +3.1% |
| 1956 | 37.56 years | +2.5% |
| 1957 | 36.53 years | -2.8% |
| 1958 | 37.28 years | +2.0% |
| 1959 | 37.95 years | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 29.45 years | -22.4% |
| 1961 | 29.83 years | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 41.51 years | +39.2% |
| 1963 | 41.94 years | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 42.45 years | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 43 years | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 43.66 years | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 44.41 years | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 45.22 years | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 46.07 years | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 46.81 years | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 47.44 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 47.94 years | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 48.24 years | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 48.41 years | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 48.58 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 48.66 years | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 48.75 years | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 48.92 years | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 49.09 years | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 49.41 years | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 49.73 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 50.28 years | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 50.91 years | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 51.26 years | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 51.91 years | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 52.08 years | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 52.67 years | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 52.84 years | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 52.85 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 52.78 years | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 52.59 years | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 52.45 years | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 52.25 years | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 51.94 years | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 51.77 years | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 51.65 years | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 51.51 years | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 51.57 years | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 51.82 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 52.13 years | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 52.45 years | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 52.76 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 53.06 years | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 53.38 years | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 53.75 years | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 54.06 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 54.42 years | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 54.77 years | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 55.05 years | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 55.44 years | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 55.93 years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 56.49 years | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 56.99 years | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 57.24 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 57.76 years | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 58.35 years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 58.84 years | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 59.11 years | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 59.63 years | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 59.47 years | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 59.07 years | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 60.33 years | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 61.52 years | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 35.33 years | 31.58 years | 37.95 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 40.75 years | 29.45 years | 46.07 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.28 years | 46.81 years | 49.09 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.39 years | 49.41 years | 52.85 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.03 years | 51.51 years | 52.78 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.58 years | 52.13 years | 55.05 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.58 years | 55.44 years | 59.63 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.1 years | 59.07 years | 61.52 years | 4 |
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)
- 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)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0242 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 4.27 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0195 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, by sex in Cameroon?
- Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Cameroon was 61.52 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, by sex recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 61.52 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, by sex recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.45 years in 1960.
- How does Cameroon rank for life expectancy at birth, by sex?
- Cameroon ranks 215th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, by sex rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Life expectancy at birth, by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.