Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon
Cameroon: Female and male life expectancy at birth in years was 61.52 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon is 61.52, 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, female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon peaked at 61.52 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 29.45, 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.
Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 31.58 | — |
| 1951 | 32.48 | +2.8% |
| 1952 | 33.36 | +2.7% |
| 1953 | 34.41 | +3.1% |
| 1954 | 35.53 | +3.3% |
| 1955 | 36.64 | +3.1% |
| 1956 | 37.56 | +2.5% |
| 1957 | 36.53 | -2.8% |
| 1958 | 37.28 | +2.0% |
| 1959 | 37.95 | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 29.45 | -22.4% |
| 1961 | 29.83 | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 41.51 | +39.2% |
| 1963 | 41.94 | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 42.45 | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 43 | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 43.66 | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 44.41 | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 45.22 | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 46.07 | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 46.81 | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 47.44 | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 47.94 | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 48.24 | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 48.41 | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 48.58 | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 48.66 | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 48.75 | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 48.92 | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 49.09 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 49.41 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 49.73 | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 50.28 | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 50.91 | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 51.26 | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 51.91 | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 52.08 | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 52.67 | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 52.84 | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 52.85 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 52.78 | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 52.59 | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 52.45 | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 52.25 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 51.94 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 51.77 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 51.65 | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 51.51 | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 51.57 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 51.82 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 52.13 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 52.45 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 52.76 | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 53.06 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 53.38 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 53.75 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 54.06 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 54.42 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 54.77 | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 55.05 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 55.44 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 55.93 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 56.49 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 56.99 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 57.24 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 57.76 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 58.35 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 58.84 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 59.11 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 59.63 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 59.47 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 59.07 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 60.33 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 61.52 | +2.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 61.52 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 65.33, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 61.52 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 62.07, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +39.2% | 29.83 | 41.51 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 35.33 | 31.58 | 37.95 | 10 |
| 1960s | 40.75 | 29.45 | 46.07 | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.28 | 46.81 | 49.09 | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.39 | 49.41 | 52.85 | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.03 | 51.51 | 52.78 | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.58 | 52.13 | 55.05 | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.58 | 55.44 | 59.63 | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.1 | 59.07 | 61.52 | 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)
- 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 female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon?
- Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Cameroon was 61.52 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female and male life expectancy at birth in years recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 61.52 in 2023.
- What is the lowest female and male life expectancy at birth in years recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.45 in 1960.
- How does Cameroon rank for female and male life expectancy at birth in years?
- Cameroon ranks 215th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is female and male life expectancy at birth in years 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Female and male life expectancy at birth in years. 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).