External balance on goods and services in Cameroon
Cameroon: External balance on goods and services was -7.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Cameroon, 1965–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in Cameroon stood at -7.2%. That is the lowest value across all 61 years on record.
That represents a change of down 135.7% on the previous year and down 102.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Cameroon peaked at 6.6% in 1993 and was at its lowest, -7.2%, in 2025.
Cameroon ranks 120th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | -0.5% | — |
| 1966 | -2.6% | +415.2% |
| 1967 | -2.0% | -24.3% |
| 1968 | -2.5% | +28.4% |
| 1969 | 0.5% | -120.9% |
| 1970 | 1.5% | +193.7% |
| 1971 | -4.1% | -368.8% |
| 1972 | -5.7% | +37.5% |
| 1973 | -3.3% | -42.0% |
| 1974 | 2.6% | -179.9% |
| 1975 | -2.9% | -208.3% |
| 1976 | -4.7% | +65.2% |
| 1977 | -2.7% | -41.9% |
| 1978 | -4.5% | +62.7% |
| 1979 | -7.2% | +60.4% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | -110.5% |
| 1981 | -6.5% | -969.1% |
| 1982 | 4.3% | -165.7% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | -74.6% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | +127.2% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | -24.6% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | -70.3% |
| 1987 | -3.9% | -806.0% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | -101.8% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | +4017.7% |
| 1990 | 2.9% | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 5.4% | +86.8% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | -58.4% |
| 1993 | 6.6% | +196.8% |
| 1994 | 6.0% | -9.4% |
| 1995 | 6.6% | +9.2% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | -48.0% |
| 1997 | 4.8% | +41.7% |
| 1998 | 1.7% | -65.6% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | +10.3% |
| 2001 | -1.0% | -158.8% |
| 2002 | -2.5% | +139.0% |
| 2003 | -1.4% | -45.4% |
| 2004 | -0.7% | -45.8% |
| 2005 | -0.5% | -31.8% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | -347.4% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | -40.9% |
| 2008 | -2.9% | -492.1% |
| 2009 | -3.0% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | -2.5% | -17.0% |
| 2011 | -3.1% | +22.5% |
| 2012 | -2.3% | -25.5% |
| 2013 | -2.4% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | -3.6% | +50.7% |
| 2015 | -3.6% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | -2.7% | -23.1% |
| 2017 | -2.5% | -8.8% |
| 2018 | -3.1% | +24.8% |
| 2019 | -3.7% | +18.1% |
| 2020 | -3.3% | -11.2% |
| 2021 | -3.7% | +13.6% |
| 2022 | -2.6% | -28.8% |
| 2023 | -4.2% | +58.3% |
| 2024 | -3.1% | -27.0% |
| 2025 | -7.2% | +135.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -1.4% | -2.6% | 0.5% | 5 |
| 1970s | -3.1% | -7.2% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | -6.5% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.1% | 1.6% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.8% | -3.0% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.9% | -3.7% | -2.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.0% | -7.2% | -2.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More economy & growth data for Cameroon
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.05 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.53 Percent per annum (2029)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate -11.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 76.17 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 150,235 current LCU per person (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate -7.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1057 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 208.51 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 17.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1934 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Cameroon?
- External balance on goods and services in Cameroon was -7.2% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 1993.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was -7.2% in 2025.
- How does Cameroon rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Cameroon ranks 120th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 102.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.