Cameroon vs Nigeria: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception
Cameroon
4.26 births per woman
in 2024
Nigeria
4.38 births per woman
in 2024
Cameroon rank
17th
Nigeria rank
15th
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception over time
- Cameroon
- Nigeria
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 4.38 births per woman against 4.26 births per woman in Cameroon, a difference of 0.12 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Nigeria ahead.
Cameroon ranks 17th and Nigeria ranks 15th of 215 countries.
Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Cameroon | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.84 births per woman | 6.38 births per woman | 0.5352 births per woman | Nigeria |
| 1970s | 6.39 births per woman | 6.72 births per woman | 0.3244 births per woman | Nigeria |
| 1980s | 6.55 births per woman | 6.66 births per woman | 0.1087 births per woman | Nigeria |
| 1990s | 5.98 births per woman | 6.27 births per woman | 0.2908 births per woman | Nigeria |
| 2000s | 5.39 births per woman | 6.07 births per woman | 0.6797 births per woman | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 4.88 births per woman | 5.49 births per woman | 0.6049 births per woman | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 4.4 births per woman | 4.55 births per woman | 0.1494 births per woman | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception, Cameroon or Nigeria?
- Nigeria, at 4.38 births per woman against 4.26 births per woman in Cameroon as of 2024.
- What is the difference in fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception between Cameroon and Nigeria?
- 0.12 births per woman, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Cameroon and Nigeria?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Cameroon and Nigeria rank globally for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Cameroon ranks 17th and Nigeria ranks 15th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total fertility rate, in a given year. The unmet need for contraception shows the estimated share of married fertile women of reproductive age who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.