Suicide rate, by age in Cameroon
Cameroon: Suicide rate, by age was 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Suicide rate, by age in Cameroon, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people for suicide rate, by age in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.6% on the previous year and up 24.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, suicide rate, by age in Cameroon peaked at 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.7765 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2000.
Cameroon ranks 11th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Suicide rate, by age in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.7765 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | +36.6% |
| 2002 | 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.02 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 1 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 0.9802 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 0.9671 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 0.9659 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 0.9555 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.9473 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 0.9316 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 0.9263 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 0.9248 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.9293 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.9211 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 0.9626 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 0.9821 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 0.9805 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 1 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 1.09 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.6% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3576 deaths per 100,000 people, 3.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.5131 deaths per 100,000 people, 2.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Suicide rate, by age in Cameroon changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +36.6% | 0.7765 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.9716 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.7765 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9608 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.9211 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.12 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.09 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 8 Rwanda 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 9 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.18 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 10 Central African Republic 1.16 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 12 Micronesia (country) 1.13 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 13 Mongolia 1.09 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 14 United States 1.09 deaths per 100,000 people 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 suicide rate, by age in Cameroon?
- Suicide rate, by age in Cameroon was 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest suicide rate, by age recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- What is the lowest suicide rate, by age recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7765 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000.
- How does Cameroon rank for suicide rate, by age?
- Cameroon ranks 11th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is suicide rate, by age rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Suicide rate, by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths from self-harm among both sexes aged 0-14 year olds, per 100,000 people.