Life expectancy by sex in Cameroon
Cameroon: Life expectancy by sex was 65.94 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
65.94 years
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
214th
of 236 countries
All-time high
65.94 years
in 2023
All-time low
34.63 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy by sex in Cameroon, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy by sex in Cameroon is 65.94 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy by sex in Cameroon peaked at 65.94 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 34.63 years, in 1950.
Cameroon ranks 214th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy by sex in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 34.63 years | — |
| 1951 | 35.28 years | +1.9% |
| 1952 | 35.88 years | +1.7% |
| 1953 | 36.63 years | +2.1% |
| 1954 | 37.47 years | +2.3% |
| 1955 | 38.35 years | +2.3% |
| 1956 | 39.25 years | +2.4% |
| 1957 | 40.07 years | +2.1% |
| 1958 | 40.93 years | +2.1% |
| 1959 | 41.71 years | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 41.7 years | -0.0% |
| 1961 | 42.28 years | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 43.66 years | +3.3% |
| 1963 | 44.19 years | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 44.72 years | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 45.33 years | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 45.99 years | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 46.77 years | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 47.53 years | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 48.29 years | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 49.07 years | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 49.69 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 50.28 years | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 50.77 years | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 51.03 years | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 51.18 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 51.35 years | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 51.49 years | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 51.7 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 51.96 years | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 52.28 years | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 52.71 years | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 53.31 years | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 53.97 years | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 54.5 years | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 54.99 years | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 55.04 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 55.68 years | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 55.85 years | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 55.9 years | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 55.89 years | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 55.72 years | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 55.64 years | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 55.48 years | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 55.12 years | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 54.92 years | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 54.74 years | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 54.7 years | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 54.51 years | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 54.5 years | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 54.52 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 54.72 years | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 55.06 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 55.43 years | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 55.76 years | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 56.04 years | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 56.53 years | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 56.99 years | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 57.45 years | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 57.92 years | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 58.49 years | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 59.04 years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 59.87 years | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 60.5 years | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 61.07 years | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 61.66 years | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 62.29 years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 62.86 years | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 63.33 years | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 63.83 years | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 63.98 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 63.3 years | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 64.63 years | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 65.94 years | +2.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 65.94 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 70.48 years, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 65.94 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 66.75 years, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 38.02 years | 34.63 years | 41.71 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 45.05 years | 41.7 years | 48.29 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 50.85 years | 49.07 years | 51.96 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 54.42 years | 52.28 years | 55.9 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.12 years | 54.5 years | 55.89 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.04 years | 54.52 years | 57.92 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.29 years | 58.49 years | 63.83 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.46 years | 63.3 years | 65.94 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 211 Eswatini 66.95 years compare
- 212 Mozambique 66.54 years compare
- 213 Guinea-Bissau 66.36 years compare
- 215 Kenya 65.92 years compare
- 216 Burundi 65.7 years compare
- 217 Equatorial Guinea 65.66 years compare
More population data for Cameroon
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5077 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5809 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5809 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.6% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6.42 million people (2100)
- Population density 188.01 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.6% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1831 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.39 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy by sex in Cameroon?
- Life expectancy by sex in Cameroon was 65.94 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy by sex recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 65.94 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy by sex recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.63 years in 1950.
- How does Cameroon rank for life expectancy by sex?
- Cameroon ranks 214th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy by sex rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth among females, in a given year.