Population

The demographic profile of Cameroon is complex for a country of its population. Cameroon comprises an estimated 250 distinct ethnic groups, which may be formed into five large regional-cultural divisions:

Western highlanders (Semi-Bantu or grassfielders), including the Bamileke, Bamum (or Bamoun), and many smaller Tikar groups in the Northwest (est. 38% of total population);
Coastal tropical forest peoples, including the Bassa, Duala (or Douala), and many smaller groups in the Southwest (12%);
Southern tropical forest peoples, including the Beti-Pahuin, Bulu (a subgroup of Beti-Pahuin), Fang (subgroup of Beti-Pahuin), Maka, Njem, and Baka pygmies (18%);
predominantly Islamic peoples of the northern semi-arid regions (the Sahel) and central highlands, including the Fulani (French: Peul or Peuhl; Fula: Ful?e) (14%); and
the "Kirdi", non-Islamic or recently Islamic peoples of the northern desert and central highlands (18%).

An up-to-date demographic profile is currently unavailable from the country's government, which hasn't published census data since 1976.

The Cameroon government held two national censuses during the country's first 44 years as an independent country, in 1976 and again in 1987. Results from the second head count were never published. A third census, expected to take years to produce results, began on November 11, 2005, with a three-week interviewing phase. It is one of a series of projects and reforms required by the International Monetary Fund as prerequisites for foreign debt relief.

Population

The population of Cameroon goes up to 21,699,631 people
Cameroon ended 2012 with a population of 21,699,631 people, which represents an increase of 543,359 people compared to 2011. Cameroon is no. 55 among the 182 countries which published this information in DatosMacro.com. The female population is greater with 10,853,507 women representing 50.01% of the total, compared to 10,846,124 or 49.98 per cent men.
Cameroon shows a moderate population density, with 46 people per square km, and it was in position 65th in our ranking of density population in 2012. In this page we show you the progression of the population in Cameroon. You can see the population in other countries in population and see all the information about Cameroon in Cameroon's economy.

 Vital statistics

Registration of vital events is in Cameroon not complete. The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.

Ethnic groups

• Cameroon Highlanders 31%
• Equatorial Bantu 19%
• Kirdi 11%
• Fulani 10%
• Northwestern Bantu 8%
• Eastern Nigritic 7%
• other African 13%
• non-African less than 1%

Languages

24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Religions       

Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Age structure

• 0-14 years: 40% (male 4,151,140/female 4,076,797)
• 15-24 years: 20.3% (male 2,107,067/female 2,066,718)
• 25-54 years: 31.9% (male 3,317,740/female 3,240,609)
• 55-64 years: 4.3% (male 419,751/female 468,077)

65 years and over: 3.4% (male 319,597/female 381,725) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios

Total dependency ratio: 85.8 %

Youth dependency ratio: 79.8 %

Elderly dependency ratio: 6 %

Potential support ratio: 16.7 (2013)

Median age

• Total: 19.7 years
• Male: 19.6 years
• Female: 19.8 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate

2.04% (2013 est.)

Birth rate

• 31.93 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Death rate

• 11.51 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Net migration rate:            

• 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)

 Urbanization

• Urban population: 52.1% of total population (2011)
• Rate of urbanization: 3.23% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas – population

• YAOUNDE (capital) 2.432 million (2011)
•  Douala 2.053 million (2011)

Sex ratio        

• At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
• 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
•  15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
•  25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
• 55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
• 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
• Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

• 19.4 (2004 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

• 690 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Infant mortality rate

• Total: 58.51 deaths/1,000 live births
• Male: 62.92 deaths/1,000 live births
• Female: 53.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

• Total population: 55.02 years
• Male: 54.1 years
• Female: 55.95 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate   

• 4 children born/woman (2013 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

• 23.4% (2011)

Health expenditures

• 5.1% of GDP (2010)

Physicians density

• 0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2004)

Hospital bed density

• 1.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Drinking water source

Improved:

• Urban: 95% of population
• Rural: 52% of population
• Total: 77% of population

Unimproved:

• Urban: 5% of population
• Rural: 48% of population
• Total: 23% of population (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

Improved:

• Urban: 58% of population
• Rural: 36% of population
• Total: 49% of population

Unimproved:

• Urban: 42% of population
• Rural: 64% of population
• Total: 51% of population (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

• 5.3% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

• 610,000 (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

• 37,000 (2009 est.)

Major infectious diseases

• Degree of risk: very high
• Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
• vector borne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
• Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
• Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
• Animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

• 10.3% (2008)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:

• 16.6% (2006)

Education expenditures

• 3.2% of GDP (2011)

Literacy          

• Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
• Total population: 71.3%
• Male: 78.3%
• Female: 64.8% (2010 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

• Total: 12 years
• Male: 12 years
• Female: 11 years (2011)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

• Total number: 1,396,281
• Percentage: 31 % (2006 est.)