Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Cameroon
Cameroon: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 1.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Cameroon, 1970–2024
Source: IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Cameroon stood at 1.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Cameroon peaked at 4.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, -0.9%, in 1990.
Cameroon ranks 115th of 198 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.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.4% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -90.1% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | +60.3% |
| 1973 | 0.2% | -26.0% |
| 1974 | 1.0% | +514.1% |
| 1975 | 0.9% | -5.3% |
| 1976 | 0.6% | -40.3% |
| 1977 | 0.3% | -54.7% |
| 1978 | 0.9% | +238.9% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | +20.6% |
| 1980 | 1.9% | +85.4% |
| 1981 | 2.0% | +5.3% |
| 1982 | 1.7% | -17.7% |
| 1983 | 3.1% | +84.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -92.2% |
| 1985 | 3.7% | +1431.6% |
| 1986 | -0.8% | -120.7% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | -216.1% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | -15.0% |
| 1989 | -0.8% | -203.1% |
| 1990 | -0.9% | +17.7% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | -86.6% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | -297.6% |
| 1993 | 0.0% | -86.9% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | +30.4% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | +236.9% |
| 1996 | 0.9% | +577.0% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | +47.3% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -64.7% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -38.1% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | +399.3% |
| 2001 | -0.1% | -107.0% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | -3919.7% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | -48.5% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | -82.8% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | +245.8% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | -77.4% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | +180.2% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -90.4% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +3426.7% |
| 2010 | 1.9% | -27.0% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | +9.4% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -18.0% |
| 2013 | 1.6% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | +22.9% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | +14.9% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -15.1% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | +34.9% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | -35.9% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | +29.3% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | -19.4% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.3% | -0.8% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | -0.9% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | -0.1% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 5 |
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)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 122,171 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 17.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2477 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 488.65 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 13.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 144.17 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 284,358 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 3.03 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Cameroon?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Cameroon was 1.7% in 2024, according to IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 4.1% in 2002.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.9% in 1990.
- How does Cameroon rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Cameroon ranks 115th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net inflows of foreign direct investment from foreign investors to the reporting economy.