Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Cameroon
Cameroon: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 40.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
40.1%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
97th
of 214 countries
All-time high
79.7%
in 1970
All-time low
40.1%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Cameroon, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Cameroon stood at 40.1%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Cameroon peaked at 79.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 40.1%, in 2024.
Cameroon ranks 97th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 79.7% | — |
| 1971 | 78.4% | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 77.1% | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 75.7% | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 74.2% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 72.7% | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 71.3% | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 70.5% | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 69.7% | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 68.9% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 68.1% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 67.2% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 66.4% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 65.5% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 64.7% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 63.8% | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 62.9% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 62.1% | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 61.5% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 60.9% | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 60.3% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 59.8% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 59.2% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 58.6% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 58.0% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 57.4% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 56.8% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 56.2% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 55.7% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 55.1% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 54.5% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 53.9% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 53.3% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 52.7% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 52.1% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 51.5% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 50.9% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 50.3% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 49.6% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 49.0% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 48.4% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 47.8% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 47.2% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 46.6% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 46.0% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 45.4% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 44.8% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 44.2% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 43.6% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 43.0% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 42.4% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 41.9% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 41.3% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 40.7% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 40.1% | -1.4% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 40.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.1%, 76% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 40.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 54.5%, 74% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 73.8% | 68.9% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 64.3% | 60.9% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.7% | 55.1% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.8% | 49.0% | 54.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.7% | 43.0% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.3% | 40.1% | 42.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More population data for Cameroon
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5809 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5077 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 51,280 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.39 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1831 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.571 (2100)
- Population density 188.01 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 6.42 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Cameroon?
- Rural population in Cameroon was 40.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 79.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.1% in 2024.
- How does Cameroon rank for rural population?
- Cameroon ranks 97th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release