Cameroon — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Cameroon: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Cameroon is in Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. It covers 475,440 sq km. Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north. Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north.
| Capital | Yaounde |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,518,954 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $143.264 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $4,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 4.5% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 3.6% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 32.5% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $8.353 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $10.294 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 64.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 19.4 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 59.3% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
| Languages | 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) |
Cameroon’s GDP is $143.264 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $51.327 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 3.7% (2024 est.). See where Cameroon ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: unemployment near 3.6% — work for whoever wants it; public debt under 32% of GDP — room to maneuver
- What drags it down: a median age of 19 — a nation of children, its workforce still in the classroom; life expectancy of only 64 years
Oil, Bauxite, Iron ore, Timber, Hydropower.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 71% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 36.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 63.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 4.271 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 35.5 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 8.3 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 1,252 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Hydro 63.1%, Gas 23.5%, Oil 12.6%, Solar 0.2% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 63.9% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 285.7 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $8.353 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $10.294 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $1.9 billion (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Paul Biya — President. President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
Cameroon maintains 33 embassies and 8 consulates abroad, hosts 38 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 33 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 8 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 38 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 402 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 37 + 1 heliports (registration prefix TJ) |
| Major seaports | Douala, Ebome Marine Terminal, Kole Oil Terminal, Kome Kribi 1 Marine Terminal, Kribi Deep Sea Port, Limboh Terminal, Moudi Marine Terminal |
| Railways | 987 km |
| Pipelines | 53 km gas, 5 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,107 km oil, 35 km water (2013) |
Major airports
Douala International Airport (DLA) — Douala; Garoua International Airport (GOU) — Garoua; Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport (NSI) — Yaoundé; N'Gaoundéré Airport (NGE) — N'Gaoundéré; Salak Airport (MVR) — Maroua.
Terminals
| Oil terminals | Limboh Terminal |
|---|---|
| River ports | Douala (Wouri) |
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Cameroon.
Historical timeline of Cameroon
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Cameroon — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Cameroon's power score?
Cameroon has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.