Annual GDP growth in Cameroon
Cameroon: Annual GDP growth was 3.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual GDP growth in Cameroon, 1980–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 3.5% for annual gdp growth in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% on the previous year and down 38.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual gdp growth in Cameroon peaked at 17.1% in 1981 and was at its lowest, -7.9%, in 1988.
That places Cameroon 94th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual GDP growth in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 9.9% | — |
| 1981 | 17.1% | +72.2% |
| 1982 | 7.6% | -55.6% |
| 1983 | 6.8% | -9.5% |
| 1984 | 7.5% | +9.1% |
| 1985 | 8.1% | +8.6% |
| 1986 | 6.8% | -16.2% |
| 1987 | -2.2% | -131.7% |
| 1988 | -7.9% | +265.3% |
| 1989 | -1.8% | -77.5% |
| 1990 | -6.2% | +248.1% |
| 1991 | -3.8% | -38.9% |
| 1992 | -3.0% | -19.0% |
| 1993 | -3.2% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | -2.5% | -21.0% |
| 1995 | 3.3% | -232.4% |
| 1996 | 4.9% | +48.7% |
| 1997 | 5.3% | +8.2% |
| 1998 | 4.9% | -7.9% |
| 1999 | 4.1% | -17.0% |
| 2000 | 3.8% | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 4.3% | +12.8% |
| 2002 | 4.5% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | +21.8% |
| 2004 | 7.0% | +29.3% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | -68.4% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | +71.0% |
| 2007 | 4.3% | +13.6% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | -34.2% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | -9.4% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | +12.4% |
| 2011 | 3.4% | +16.6% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | +36.9% |
| 2013 | 5.0% | +8.0% |
| 2014 | 5.7% | +14.5% |
| 2015 | 5.7% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | -20.0% |
| 2017 | 3.5% | -21.9% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | +11.7% |
| 2019 | 3.5% | -12.2% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -92.5% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | +1184.2% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | +11.9% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | -10.4% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | +5.3% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 3.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.1%, 87% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 3.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5%, 78% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual GDP growth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +1184.2% | 0.3% | 3.3% |
| 1988 | -265.3% | -2.2% | -7.9% |
| 1990 | -248.1% | -1.8% | -6.2% |
| 1995 | +232.4% | -2.5% | 3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.2% | -7.9% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | -6.2% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 2.2% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 2.9% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 0.3% | 3.7% | 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 63.42 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0012 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 2.18 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 888.22 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 8.12 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0167 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 30.5 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 3.68 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual gdp growth in Cameroon?
- Annual gdp growth in Cameroon was 3.5% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual gdp growth recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 1981.
- What is the lowest annual gdp growth recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was -7.9% in 1988.
- How does Cameroon rank for annual gdp growth?
- Cameroon ranks 94th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual gdp growth rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual GDP growth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual percent change in gross domestic product. This data is adjusted for inflation.