Life expectancy at birth in Cameroon
Cameroon: Life expectancy at birth was 63.7 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
63.7 years
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
214th
of 236 countries
All-time high
63.7 years
in 2023
All-time low
33.09 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy at birth 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 in Cameroon is 63.7 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 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Cameroon peaked at 63.7 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 33.09 years, in 1950.
Cameroon ranks 214th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 33.09 years | — |
| 1951 | 33.87 years | +2.4% |
| 1952 | 34.62 years | +2.2% |
| 1953 | 35.52 years | +2.6% |
| 1954 | 36.51 years | +2.8% |
| 1955 | 37.5 years | +2.7% |
| 1956 | 38.41 years | +2.4% |
| 1957 | 38.28 years | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 39.07 years | +2.1% |
| 1959 | 39.8 years | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 34.67 years | -12.9% |
| 1961 | 35.19 years | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 42.6 years | +21.1% |
| 1963 | 43.07 years | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 43.6 years | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 44.17 years | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 44.84 years | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 45.6 years | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 46.39 years | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 47.19 years | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 47.95 years | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 48.58 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 49.12 years | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 49.52 years | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 49.73 years | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 49.89 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 50.02 years | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 50.13 years | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 50.32 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 50.53 years | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 50.85 years | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 51.23 years | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 51.8 years | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 52.45 years | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 52.89 years | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 53.47 years | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 53.57 years | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 54.19 years | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 54.36 years | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 54.39 years | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 54.35 years | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 54.17 years | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 54.05 years | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 53.87 years | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 53.54 years | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 53.35 years | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 53.2 years | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 53.1 years | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 53.04 years | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 53.17 years | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 53.34 years | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 53.6 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 53.92 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 54.25 years | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 54.58 years | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 54.9 years | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 55.3 years | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 55.71 years | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 56.12 years | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 56.49 years | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 56.97 years | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 57.48 years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 58.17 years | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 58.73 years | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 59.13 years | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 59.69 years | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 60.29 years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 60.82 years | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 61.19 years | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 61.7 years | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 61.67 years | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 61.15 years | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 62.44 years | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 63.7 years | +2.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 63.7 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.65 years, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 63.7 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 36.67 years | 33.09 years | 39.8 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 42.73 years | 34.67 years | 47.19 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 49.58 years | 47.95 years | 50.53 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.92 years | 50.85 years | 54.39 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.58 years | 53.04 years | 54.35 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.82 years | 53.34 years | 56.49 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.42 years | 56.97 years | 61.7 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.24 years | 61.15 years | 63.7 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 211 Eswatini 64.12 years compare
- 212 Guinea-Bissau 64.08 years compare
- 213 Equatorial Guinea 63.71 years compare
- 215 Burundi 63.65 years compare
- 216 Kenya 63.65 years compare
- 217 Madagascar 63.63 years 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 63.7 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 63.7 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.09 years in 1950.
- How does Cameroon rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Cameroon ranks 214th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.