Life expectancy at birth in Cameroon
Cameroon: Life expectancy at birth was 61.77 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
61.77
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
163rd
of 184 countries
All-time high
62.18
in 2020
All-time low
52.9
in 2001
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Life expectancy at birth in Cameroon, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 61.77 for life expectancy at birth in 2021.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Cameroon peaked at 62.18 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 52.9, in 2001.
That places Cameroon 163rd out of 184 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 52.96 | — |
| 2001 | 52.9 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 52.9 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 53.06 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 53.57 | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 54.13 | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 54.53 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 55 | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 55.69 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 56.27 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 56.78 | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 57.26 | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 57.77 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 58.16 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 58.44 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 58.98 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 59.79 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 60.64 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 61.39 | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 62.03 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 62.18 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 61.77 | -0.7% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 61.77 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 66.81, 92% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 61.77 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.05, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.1 | 52.9 | 56.27 | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.12 | 56.78 | 62.03 | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.98 | 61.77 | 62.18 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 160 Haiti 62.46 compare
- 161 Burkina Faso 62.3 compare
- 162 Angola 62.13 compare
- 164 Mali 61.67 compare
- 165 Democratic Republic of Congo 61.63 compare
- 166 Equatorial Guinea 61.61 compare
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 life expectancy at birth in Cameroon?
- Life expectancy at birth in Cameroon was 61.77 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 62.18 in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.9 in 2001.
- How does Cameroon rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Cameroon ranks 163rd out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy at birth 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, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).