Which has higher human development index, Cameroon or Kenya?

Kenya, at 0.515 HDI against 0.492 HDI in Cameroon as of 2011.

How many years of comparable data are there for Cameroon and Kenya?

10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2011.

Where does this data come from?

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Cameroon vs Kenya: Human development index

Cameroon

0.492 HDI

in 2011

Kenya

0.515 HDI

in 2011

Cameroon rank

19th

Kenya rank

17th

Human development index over time

Cameroon
Kenya

How they compare

Kenya currently reports 0.515 HDI against 0.492 HDI in Cameroon, a difference of 0.023 HDI.

Across all 10 years both countries report, Kenya has been ahead every year.

Cameroon ranks 19th and Kenya ranks 17th of 50 countries.

Kenya has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Cameroon	Kenya	Difference	Ahead
1980s	0.373 HDI	0.424 HDI	0.051 HDI	Kenya
1990s	0.431 HDI	0.463 HDI	0.032 HDI	Kenya
2000s	0.4587 HDI	0.4817 HDI	0.023 HDI	Kenya
2010s	0.49 HDI	0.513 HDI	0.023 HDI	Kenya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Cameroon or Kenya?: Kenya, at 0.515 HDI against 0.492 HDI in Cameroon as of 2011.
What is the difference in human development index between Cameroon and Kenya?: 0.023 HDI, with Kenya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Cameroon and Kenya?: 10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2011.
How do Cameroon and Kenya rank globally for human development index?: Cameroon ranks 19th and Kenya ranks 17th of 50 countries.
Where does this data come from?: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Cameroon vs Kenya: Human development index. Statizoid, drawing on http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/human-development-index-hdi/cameroon/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator: Human development index (HDI)
Unit: HDI
Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 50 places, 459 data points, 1980–2011
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices measuring achievements in each dimension. The HDI is the geometric mean of the three dimension indices and embodies imperfect substitutability across all HDI dimensions. It thus addresses one of the most serious criticisms of the linear aggregation formula, which allowed for perfect substitution across dimensions. Some substitutability is inherent in the definition of any index that increases with the values of its components. Data sources: Life expectancy at birth: UNDESA; Mean years of schooling: Barro and Lee; Expected years of schooling: UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Gross national income (GNI) per capita: World Bank.