Cameroon ranked 92/197 by economy size with a GDP of $51.3B and 159/197 by GDP per capita at $1,762. Cameroon has $21.9B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.9%.
In 2025, Cameroon made up 0.05% of the world's economy, compared to 0.04% in 1960.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1960 | $614,206,068 | $4,827,329,402 | - |
| 1961 | $652,777,608 | $4,884,469,574 | 6.28% |
| 1962 | $694,247,864 | $5,033,033,600 | 6.35% |
| 1963 | $718,320,845 | $5,221,397,415 | 3.47% |
| 1964 | $776,650,177 | $5,406,608,720 | 8.12% |
| 1965 | $814,083,266 | $5,516,149,517 | 4.82% |
| 1966 | $851,112,535 | $5,770,717,369 | 4.55% |
| 1967 | $936,175,260 | $5,141,012,904 | 9.99% |
| 1968 | $1,046,191,218 | $5,467,278,233 | 11.8% |
| 1969 | $1,100,551,489 | $5,735,255,756 | 5.2% |
| 1970 | $1,151,216,993 | $5,912,593,777 | 4.6% |
| 1971 | $1,236,941,394 | $6,118,334,765 | 7.45% |
| 1972 | $1,498,251,890 | $6,281,929,449 | 21.1% |
| 1973 | $1,901,393,361 | $6,618,369,537 | 26.9% |
| 1974 | $2,157,415,533 | $7,328,802,680 | 13.5% |
| 1975 | $2,857,037,371 | $8,152,930,849 | 32.4% |
| 1976 | $2,898,090,002 | $7,704,916,015 | 1.44% |
| 1977 | $3,394,664,024 | $8,763,561,577 | 17.1% |
| 1978 | $4,662,852,583 | $10,691,808,462 | 37.4% |
| 1979 | $5,919,002,983 | $11,337,071,802 | 26.9% |
| 1980 | $6,674,569,047 | $11,114,265,274 | 12.8% |
| 1981 | $6,610,938,617 | $13,012,879,895 | -0.95% |
| 1982 | $6,611,255,964 | $13,990,954,313 | 0.005% |
| 1983 | $6,870,200,010 | $14,951,689,440 | 3.92% |
| 1984 | $7,311,938,026 | $16,069,264,314 | 6.43% |
| 1985 | $8,544,810,498 | $17,364,955,075 | 16.9% |
| 1986 | $11,857,056,199 | $18,540,851,327 | 38.8% |
| 1987 | $13,049,659,981 | $18,142,844,102 | 10.1% |
| 1988 | $12,236,057,362 | $16,723,414,750 | -6.23% |
| 1989 | $11,012,566,195 | $16,419,195,682 | -10% |
| 1990 | $12,314,482,628 | $15,416,689,238 | 11.8% |
| 1991 | $11,840,192,296 | $14,829,529,308 | -3.85% |
| 1992 | $12,071,775,335 | $14,369,813,424 | 1.96% |
| 1993 | $16,181,814,713 | $13,229,990,256 | 34% |
| 1994 | $8,902,446,252 | $13,478,291,934 | -45% |
| 1995 | $10,864,772,471 | $13,868,353,888 | 22% |
| 1996 | $11,093,538,846 | $14,452,915,010 | 2.11% |
| 1997 | $10,789,458,433 | $15,107,243,821 | -2.74% |
| 1998 | $11,298,144,990 | $15,821,141,893 | 4.71% |
| 1999 | $11,565,826,465 | $16,534,881,735 | 2.37% |
| 2000 | $10,566,579,295 | $17,168,567,485 | -8.64% |
| 2001 | $10,953,485,349 | $17,910,981,186 | 3.66% |
| 2002 | $12,417,251,350 | $18,712,860,619 | 13.4% |
| 2003 | $15,970,315,035 | $19,733,301,669 | 28.6% |
| 2004 | $18,826,214,136 | $21,124,275,033 | 17.9% |
| 2005 | $19,509,852,207 | $21,594,980,960 | 3.63% |
| 2006 | $20,910,512,975 | $22,417,659,743 | 7.18% |
| 2007 | $23,928,250,433 | $23,387,803,923 | 14.4% |
| 2008 | $27,715,142,033 | $24,053,813,244 | 15.8% |
| 2009 | $27,932,970,317 | $24,674,221,649 | 0.79% |
| 2010 | $27,507,501,821 | $25,389,533,435 | -1.52% |
| 2011 | $30,630,910,495 | $26,247,499,414 | 11.4% |
| 2012 | $30,155,062,329 | $27,461,703,152 | -1.55% |
| 2013 | $33,728,621,180 | $28,833,560,541 | 11.9% |
| 2014 | $36,386,544,706 | $30,482,787,768 | 7.88% |
| 2015 | $32,210,233,020 | $32,210,233,020 | -11.5% |
| 2016 | $33,814,337,044 | $33,671,222,913 | 4.98% |
| 2017 | $36,098,547,033 | $34,863,580,363 | 6.76% |
| 2018 | $39,955,552,190 | $36,242,614,249 | 10.7% |
| 2019 | $39,667,757,528 | $37,502,066,833 | -0.72% |
| 2020 | $40,773,241,177 | $37,599,547,049 | 2.79% |
| 2021 | $45,011,937,347 | $38,854,942,335 | 10.4% |
| 2022 | $44,347,206,073 | $40,306,867,605 | -1.48% |
| 2023 | $49,279,410,983 | $41,616,173,715 | 11.1% |
| 2024 | $51,326,764,685 | $43,143,796,435 | 4.15% |
Economic Statistics of Cameroon
Cameroon
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$51.3B
2024 |
92/197 |
| GDP growth |
4.15%
2023-2024 |
127/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$1,762
2024 |
159/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$5,591
2024 |
155/197 |
| Government debt |
$21.9B
2024 |
96/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
39.9%
2025 |
136/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$752
2024 |
152/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$1,492
2025 |
183/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
31.1%
2021 |
47/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.1%
2021 |
127/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
16.3%
2025 |
181/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
4.53%
2023-2024 |
61/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
3.28%
2021 |
147/196 |
| Population |
30491011
|
52/197 |
Cameroon's GDP per capita
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,762, ranking 159/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $5,591, ranking 155/197, and a median annual after tax income of $1,492, ranking 183/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $119.1 | - |
| 1961 | $124.6 | - |
| 1962 | $130 | - |
| 1963 | $131.6 | - |
| 1964 | $139.2 | - |
| 1965 | $142.7 | - |
| 1966 | $145.8 | - |
| 1967 | $156.6 | - |
| 1968 | $170.8 | - |
| 1969 | $175.2 | - |
| 1970 | $178.5 | - |
| 1971 | $186.7 | - |
| 1972 | $220.1 | - |
| 1973 | $271.8 | - |
| 1974 | $299.9 | - |
| 1975 | $386 | - |
| 1976 | $381 | - |
| 1977 | $435 | - |
| 1978 | $582 | - |
| 1979 | $718 | - |
| 1980 | $784 | - |
| 1981 | $750 | - |
| 1982 | $732 | - |
| 1983 | $746 | - |
| 1984 | $772 | - |
| 1985 | $875 | - |
| 1986 | $1,179 | - |
| 1987 | $1,258 | - |
| 1988 | $1,145 | - |
| 1989 | $1,001 | - |
| 1990 | $1,087 | $2,032 |
| 1991 | $1,015 | $1,963 |
| 1992 | $1,005 | $1,890 |
| 1993 | $1,310 | $1,731 |
| 1994 | $701 | $1,752 |
| 1995 | $832 | $1,790 |
| 1996 | $827 | $1,850 |
| 1997 | $783 | $1,915 |
| 1998 | $799 | $1,975 |
| 1999 | $796 | $2,039 |
| 2000 | $709 | $2,108 |
| 2001 | $715 | $2,191 |
| 2002 | $790 | $2,263 |
| 2003 | $988 | $2,368 |
| 2004 | $1,133 | $2,533 |
| 2005 | $1,143 | $2,598 |
| 2006 | $1,191 | $2,704 |
| 2007 | $1,326 | $2,818 |
| 2008 | $1,492 | $2,870 |
| 2009 | $1,461 | $2,879 |
| 2010 | $1,399 | $2,914 |
| 2011 | $1,514 | $2,989 |
| 2012 | $1,449 | $3,060 |
| 2013 | $1,576 | $3,239 |
| 2014 | $1,649 | $3,422 |
| 2015 | $1,415 | $3,498 |
| 2016 | $1,442 | $3,627 |
| 2017 | $1,496 | $3,767 |
| 2018 | $1,611 | $4,011 |
| 2019 | $1,555 | $4,241 |
| 2020 | $1,556 | $4,365 |
| 2021 | $1,672 | $4,794 |
| 2022 | $1,605 | $5,189 |
| 2023 | $1,737 | $5,406 |
| 2024 | $1,762 | $5,591 |
Cameroon's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Cameroon's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 26 years, Cameroon recorded a fiscal deficit in 18 years — average annual deficit equal to -0.04% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $8.52B (16.3% of GDP), with a deficit of -0.84%.
The national debt reached $21.9B, ranking 96th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.9%, ranking 136th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1998 | - | 67.8% | - |
| 1999 | - | 68.4% | - |
| 2000 | 14.6% | 75.9% | 1.54% |
| 2001 | 14.6% | 62.2% | 0.86% |
| 2002 | 13.9% | 56.6% | 1.51% |
| 2003 | 13.2% | 51.5% | 0.56% |
| 2004 | 13.4% | 51.7% | -0.46% |
| 2005 | 12.4% | 43.8% | 3.03% |
| 2006 | 12.5% | 18.4% | 28.2% |
| 2007 | 13.5% | 13.8% | 3.87% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | 11.2% | 2% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | 11.3% | -0.04% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | 14% | -0.93% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | 15% | -2.26% |
| 2012 | 17.2% | 14.9% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 19.2% | 17.5% | -3.55% |
| 2014 | 20.1% | 20.7% | -4.09% |
| 2015 | 20.1% | 31.6% | -4.25% |
| 2016 | 20.2% | 32.1% | -5.88% |
| 2017 | 19.2% | 36.5% | -4.72% |
| 2018 | 18% | 38.3% | -2.41% |
| 2019 | 18.7% | 41.6% | -3.24% |
| 2020 | 16.6% | 44.9% | -3.19% |
| 2021 | 17.1% | 47.2% | -3.01% |
| 2022 | 17.1% | 45.6% | -1.11% |
| 2023 | 17.1% | 43.2% | -0.63% |
| 2024 | 16.6% | 42.7% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 16.3% | 39.9% | -0.84% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Cameroon has had an average annual inflation rate of 2.89%. In 2024, inflation was 4.53%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1969 | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 5.86% |
| 1971 | 4.01% |
| 1972 | 8.09% |
| 1973 | 10.4% |
| 1974 | 17.2% |
| 1975 | 13.6% |
| 1976 | 9.93% |
| 1977 | 14.7% |
| 1978 | 12.5% |
| 1979 | 6.58% |
| 1980 | 9.55% |
| 1981 | 10.7% |
| 1982 | 13.3% |
| 1983 | 16.6% |
| 1984 | 11.4% |
| 1985 | 8.51% |
| 1986 | 7.77% |
| 1987 | 13.1% |
| 1988 | 1.68% |
| 1989 | -1.67% |
| 1990 | 1.1% |
| 1991 | 0.06% |
| 1992 | -0.02% |
| 1993 | -3.21% |
| 1994 | 35.1% |
| 1995 | 9.07% |
| 1996 | 3.92% |
| 1997 | 4.79% |
| 1998 | 3.17% |
| 1999 | 1.87% |
| 2000 | 1.23% |
| 2001 | 4.42% |
| 2002 | 2.83% |
| 2003 | 0.62% |
| 2004 | 0.23% |
| 2005 | 2.01% |
| 2006 | 5.12% |
| 2007 | 0.92% |
| 2008 | 5.34% |
| 2009 | 3.04% |
| 2010 | 1.28% |
| 2011 | 2.94% |
| 2012 | 2.74% |
| 2013 | 2.05% |
| 2014 | 1.85% |
| 2015 | 2.68% |
| 2016 | 0.87% |
| 2017 | 0.64% |
| 2018 | 1.07% |
| 2019 | 2.45% |
| 2020 | 2.44% |
| 2021 | 2.27% |
| 2022 | 6.25% |
| 2023 | 7.38% |
| 2024 | 4.53% |
Balance of trade
|
Cameroon
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$2.02B
2023 |
143/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-4.1%
2023 |
128/189 |
| Goods imports |
$7.74B
2023 |
116/188 |
| Goods exports |
$6.34B
2023 |
112/188 |
| Service imports |
$2.55B
2023 |
107/188 |
| Service exports |
$2.01B
2023 |
109/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
21.1%
2024 |
162/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
14.7%
2024 |
169/193 |
Cameroon's top 10 trading partners
Cameroon's biggest trading partner accounting for 14.8%% of all exports and imports is China, with a trade balance between the two of -$1.18B — Cameroon exports $382M worth of goods and services to China and imports $1.56B.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Cameroon.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
China
|
$1.94B | 14.8% | $382M | $1.56B | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 2 |
India
|
$1.42B | 10.8% | $472M | $952M | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 3 |
Netherlands
|
$1.3B | 9.92% | $1.14B | $159M | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 4 |
France
|
$1.24B | 9.45% | $611M | $630M | Raw materials & minerals | Raw agricultural goods |
| 5 |
Belgium
|
$528M | 4.02% | $164M | $364M | Wood & paper products | Raw materials & minerals |
| 6 |
United States
|
$451M | 3.43% | $52.9M | $398M | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Raw materials & minerals |
| 7 |
Germany
|
$383M | 2.92% | $131M | $253M | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Machinery & equipment |
| 8 |
Italy
|
$378M | 2.88% | $219M | $160M | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 9 |
Indonesia
|
$342M | 2.6% | $192M | $150M | Raw materials & minerals | Metals |
| 10 |
Spain
|
$335M | 2.55% | $164M | $171M | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
Cameroon's top 10 exports
|
Cameroon
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials & minerals | $2.73B | 87/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $1.03B | 116/188 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $990M | 79/192 |
| Wood & paper products | $477M | 63/192 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $266M | 101/193 |
| Business & finance services | $249M | 101/188 |
| Metals | $165M | 111/192 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $128M | 116/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $119M | 112/193 |
| IT & IP services | $59.6M | 120/183 |
Cameroon's top 10 imports
|
Cameroon
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials & minerals | $2.52B | 107/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $1.81B | 105/188 |
| Machinery & equipment | $1.76B | 126/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $879M | 114/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $781M | 95/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $696M | 120/193 |
| Metals | $561M | 116/193 |
| Business & finance services | $532M | 111/188 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $437M | 126/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $382M | 94/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Cameroon
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 52.1 | 149/197 |
| Property rights | 31.3 | 139/182 |
| Government integrity | 20.7 | 139/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 10.3 | 139/182 |
| Tax burden | 72.9 | 134/181 |
| Government spending | 91.2 | 19/180 |
| Fiscal health | 92.3 | 37/181 |
| Business freedom | 48.8 | 141/182 |
| Labor freedom | 46.5 | 160/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 73.7 | 62/180 |
| Trade freedom | 57.2 | 157/181 |
| Investment freedom | 30 | 148/181 |
| Financial freedom | 50 | 74/181 |
Cameroon's economic freedom by year
Cameroon is ranked 135/180 for economic freedom with a score of 52.1, compared to 120/163 and a score of 53 in 2005.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 1995 | 51.3 | - | 51.1 | 89.8 | - |
| 1996 | 45.7 | - | 51.3 | 88 | - |
| 1997 | 44.6 | - | 51 | 88.8 | - |
| 1998 | 48 | - | 50.9 | 92.2 | - |
| 1999 | 50.3 | - | 50.9 | 92.2 | - |
| 2000 | 49.9 | - | 50.6 | 94.1 | - |
| 2001 | 53.3 | - | 50.4 | 89.2 | - |
| 2002 | 52.8 | - | 50.4 | 89.2 | - |
| 2003 | 52.7 | - | 50.2 | 90.9 | - |
| 2004 | 52.3 | - | 50.4 | 89.4 | - |
| 2005 | 53 | - | 69 | 92.2 | - |
| 2006 | 54.6 | - | 69.4 | 93 | - |
| 2007 | 55.6 | - | 69.5 | 92.4 | - |
| 2008 | 54.3 | - | 71.8 | 93.6 | - |
| 2009 | 53 | - | 69.6 | 93.6 | - |
| 2010 | 52.3 | - | 71.8 | 92.7 | - |
| 2011 | 51.8 | - | 66.9 | 89.7 | - |
| 2012 | 51.8 | - | 69.3 | 90.8 | - |
| 2013 | 52.3 | - | 69.3 | 87.1 | - |
| 2014 | 52.6 | - | 71.7 | 86 | - |
| 2015 | 51.9 | - | 71.7 | 87.8 | - |
| 2016 | 54.2 | - | 75.6 | 85.6 | - |
| 2017 | 51.8 | 29.6 | 75.4 | 84.4 | 60.9 |
| 2018 | 51.9 | 29.4 | 73.7 | 86.1 | 72 |
| 2019 | 52.4 | 31.3 | 74.4 | 87.5 | 58.4 |
| 2020 | 53.6 | 30.8 | 74.8 | 88.3 | 63.7 |
| 2021 | 53.4 | 27.2 | 74.8 | 89 | 79.9 |
| 2022 | 52.9 | 10.9 | 74.7 | 90.1 | 78.7 |
| 2023 | 51.9 | 21.1 | 72.3 | 91.1 | 82.1 |
| 2024 | 53.6 | 10.4 | 72.5 | 91.4 | 86.4 |
| 2025 | 52.1 | 10.3 | 72.9 | 91.2 | 92.3 |
More economic indicators
|
Cameroon
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
49.9%
2024 |
131/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
25.6%
2024 |
81/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
17.4%
2024 |
42/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$49B
2024 |
91/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$5,490
2024 |
152/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$4.88B
2023 |
103/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$901M
2023 |
114/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$925M
2024 |
97/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$5.56M
2024 |
127/187 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
3.53%
2023 |
69/119 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
37.7%
2021 |
43/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
21.4%
2024 |
109/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Cameroon topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.