Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon
Cameroon: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 0.1% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.
The figure is down 2.7% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon peaked at 0.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1985.
Cameroon ranks 143rd of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.1% | — |
| 1989 | 0.2% | +155.2% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | +6.3% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -51.4% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 1995 | 0.2% | +91.3% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -8.8% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | +37.1% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | -30.3% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | +39.4% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -2.7% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 0.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 59% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 0.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +155.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 1995 | +91.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 1992 | -51.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | +39.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2001 | +37.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2004 | -30.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 140 Philippines 0.1% compare
- 141 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.1% compare
- 142 Bangladesh 0.1% compare
- 144 Togo 0.1% compare
- 145 Ethiopia 0.1% compare
- 146 Sierra Leone 0.1% compare
More reference data data for Cameroon
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4076 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.199 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.54 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 17.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.08 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon was 0.1% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1985.
- How does Cameroon rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Cameroon ranks 143rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.