Capital

Kamerun

name: Yaounde

geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: founded as a German colonial settlement of Jaunde in 1888 and named after the local Yaunde (Ewondo) people

Citizenship

Kamerun

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cameroon

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Legal system

Kamerun

mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law

Suffrage

Kamerun

20 years of age; universal

Area

Kamerun

total: 475,440 sq km

land: 472,710 sq km

water: 2,730 sq km

Land use

Kamerun

agricultural land: 20.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 41.7% (2018 est.)

other: 37.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Kamerun

Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Age structure

Kamerun

0-14 years: 41.69% (male 6,337,141/female 6,226,100)

15-64 years: 55.12% (male 8,231,473/female 8,379,699)

65 years and over: 3.19% (2023 est.) (male 447,656/female 513,663)

Birth rate

Kamerun

35.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Kamerun

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Kamerun

24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

Life expectancy at birth

Kamerun

total population: 63.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 61.9 years

female: 65.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Kamerun

4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023)

Median age

Kamerun

total: 18.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 18.5 years

female: 19.1 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Kamerun

20.1 years (2018 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Kamerun

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Kamerun

population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

Kamerun

2.73% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Kamerun

4.5 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Kamerun

urban population: 59.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Kamerun

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Kamerun

total: 12 years

male: 13 years

female: 11 years (2016)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Kamerun

-3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Kamerun

3.22% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Kamerun

11.81 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Kamerun

37.5% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

Kamerun

3.87% (2021 est.)

3.84% (2020 est.)

3.64% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Kamerun

36.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

32.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Kamerun

2.27% (2021 est.)

2.44% (2020 est.)

2.45% (2019 est.)

Exports

Kamerun

$7.449 billion (2021 est.)

$6.124 billion (2020 est.)

$7.731 billion (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

Kamerun

China 17%, Netherlands 14%, Italy 9%, United Arab Emirates 8%, India 7%, United States 6%, Belgium 6%, Spain 5%, France 5% (2019)

Imports

Kamerun

$9.027 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.212 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$9.085 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Kamerun

China 28%, Nigeria 15%, France 9%, Belgium 6% (2019)

Airports

Kamerun

33 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Kamerun

total: 722,579 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Kamerun

total: 12.42 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 46% (2021 est.)

Railways

Kamerun

total: 987 km (2014)

narrow gauge: 987 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

note: railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL

Roadways

Kamerun

total: 77,589 km (2016)

paved: 5,133 km (2016)

unpaved: 72,456 km (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

Kamerun

total subscriptions: 739,572 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Kamerun

total subscriptions: 22,442,414 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 83 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Kamerun

(2010) (major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua)

Disputes - international

Kamerun

Cameroon-Central African Republic: Cameroon has deployed military troops to the border to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits
 
Cameroon-Nigeria: Nigeria recognized Cameroon's sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula in 2006 and in completed the transfer of administration in 2013, although there are occasional, mostly local disputes in the area; the the majority of the land boundary was demarcated by 2019 with UN assistance, although there are few disagreements on the precise location of the boundary; the porous border is susceptible to crossings by the Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - West Africa terrorist groups, both of which operate in Northern Nigeria