Healthy life expectancy in Cameroon
Cameroon: Healthy life expectancy was 54.01 Years in 2021. ▲ Rising
Healthy life expectancy in Cameroon, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Years.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 54.01 Years for healthy life expectancy in 2021.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, healthy life expectancy in Cameroon peaked at 54.37 Years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 46.09 Years, in 2001.
Cameroon ranks 161st of 185 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Healthy life expectancy in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 46.13 Years | — |
| 2001 | 46.09 Years | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 46.12 Years | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 46.26 Years | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 46.7 Years | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 47.17 Years | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 47.54 Years | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 48 Years | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 48.63 Years | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 49.17 Years | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 49.63 Years | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 50.06 Years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 50.52 Years | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 50.88 Years | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 51.14 Years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 51.63 Years | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 52.32 Years | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 53.06 Years | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 53.69 Years | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 54.24 Years | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 54.37 Years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 54.01 Years | -0.7% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 54.01 Years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 58.22 Years, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 54.01 Years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 54.75 Years, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.18 Years | 46.09 Years | 49.17 Years | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.72 Years | 49.63 Years | 54.24 Years | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.19 Years | 54.01 Years | 54.37 Years | 2 |
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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is healthy life expectancy in Cameroon?
- Healthy life expectancy in Cameroon was 54.01 Years in 2021, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest healthy life expectancy recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 54.37 Years in 2020.
- What is the lowest healthy life expectancy recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.09 Years in 2001.
- How does Cameroon rank for healthy life expectancy?
- Cameroon ranks 161st out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
- Is healthy life expectancy 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 World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Healthy life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The estimated average number of years lived free from disability or disease burden. This is based on period life expectancy, after adjusting for the number of years lived in less than "full health" due to disease and/or injury.