Infant mortality rate in Cameroon
Cameroon: Infant mortality rate was 4.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Infant mortality rate in Cameroon, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of infants.
Analysis
The most recent figure for infant mortality rate in Cameroon is 4.7%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 27.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Cameroon peaked at 16.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 2023.
Cameroon ranks 21st of 236 countries on this measure, 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 | 15.6% | 14.5% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 13.3% | 12.2% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.2% | 10.6% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.4% | 8.7% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.9% | 8.7% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.2% | 7.4% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 5.3% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 18 Democratic Republic of Congo 4.9% compare
- 19 Guinea-Bissau 4.9% compare
- 20 Angola 4.9% compare
- 22 Madagascar 4.5% compare
- 23 Afghanistan 4.4% compare
- 24 Haiti 4.3% 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 infant mortality rate in Cameroon?
- Infant mortality rate in Cameroon was 4.7% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 16.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 2023.
- How does Cameroon rank for infant mortality rate?
- Cameroon ranks 21st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.0%. 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 Infant 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 newborns who die before reaching the age of one.