What is neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon?

Neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon was 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?

The highest recorded value was 8.4 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1955.

What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?

The lowest recorded value was 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023.

How does Cameroon rank for neonatal mortality rate?

Cameroon ranks 24th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.

Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Cameroon?

Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

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 Neonatal mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon

Name: Neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon
Creator: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Cameroon: Neonatal mortality rate was 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births

Change on year

down 1.8%

World rank

24th

of 199 countries

All-time high

8.4 Deaths per 1000 live births

in 1955

All-time low

2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births

in 2023

Years of data

1955–2023

Neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon, 1955–2023

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Deaths per 1000 live births.

Analysis

Cameroon recorded 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births for neonatal mortality rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 69 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon peaked at 8.4 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1955 and was at its lowest, 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births, in 2023.

That places Cameroon 24th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 69 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	7.92 Deaths per 1000 live births	7.46 Deaths per 1000 live births	8.4 Deaths per 1000 live births	5
1960s	6.73 Deaths per 1000 live births	6.09 Deaths per 1000 live births	7.28 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
1970s	5.5 Deaths per 1000 live births	5.23 Deaths per 1000 live births	5.91 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
1980s	4.58 Deaths per 1000 live births	4.06 Deaths per 1000 live births	5.14 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
1990s	3.9 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.65 Deaths per 1000 live births	4.03 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
2000s	3.36 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.22 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.56 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
2010s	2.98 Deaths per 1000 live births	2.73 Deaths per 1000 live births	3.18 Deaths per 1000 live births	10
2020s	2.6 Deaths per 1000 live births	2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births	2.68 Deaths per 1000 live births	4

Countries ranked near Cameroon

21 Angola 2.56 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
22 Mozambique 2.54 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
23 Democratic Republic of Congo 2.53 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
25 Sudan 2.48 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
26 Burkina Faso 2.45 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
27 Eswatini 2.45 Deaths per 1000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

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)

All data for Cameroon →

Frequently asked questions

What is neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon?: Neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon was 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?: The highest recorded value was 8.4 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1955.
What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Cameroon?: The lowest recorded value was 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023.
How does Cameroon rank for neonatal mortality rate?: Cameroon ranks 24th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Cameroon?: Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 Neonatal mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Neonatal mortality rate
Unit: Deaths per 1000 live births
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 199 places, 10,174 data points, 1951–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The share of newborns who die before reaching 28 days of age.