Cameroon Demographics

Population of Cameroon (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Cameroon

Cameroon Population
30,640,817
see live
Yearly Change
+2.55%
Global Share
0.37%
Global Rank
51

Median Age

The median age in Cameroon is 18.2 years (2026).

Fertility in Cameroon

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
4.12
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Cameroon

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
64.5
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
66.8
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
62.3
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Cameroon


Infant Mortality
43.6
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
62.3
(per 1,000 live births)


Cameroon Urban Population

Currently, 55.9% of the population of Cameroon is urban (17,136,381 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Cameroon is 65 people per km² (168 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 472,710 km² (182,514 sq. miles).

Largest Urban Areas in Cameroon

The 30 largest of 44 urban areas, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation
1Yaoundé5,244,714
2Douala4,202,309
3Garoua690,663
4Maroua536,346
5Bamenda396,914
6Ngaoundéré351,713
7Kumba341,620
8Bafoussam323,507
9Kousseri248,206
10Bertoua246,516
11Limbe241,538
12Buea232,028
13Mokolo194,176
14Guider191,332
15Foumban183,949
16Nkongsamba181,846
17Ebolowa181,138
18Kribi149,300
19Kumbo131,151
20Yagoua125,630
21Kaélé123,504
22Edéa112,765
23Meiganga111,100
24Sangmélima107,887
25Mora106,794
26Mbalmayo106,450
27Tiko105,810
28Bafia103,271
29Banyo98,825
30Batouri93,971
Unlike official city figures, UN urban areas cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.
See all 44 urban areas in Cameroon

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.