Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon
Cameroon: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 39.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon, 1991–2019
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 39.4% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2019. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 97.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon peaked at 39.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 8.4%, in 1991.
Cameroon ranks 48th of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of children under 6 months | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.4% | — |
| 1998 | 12.2% | +45.2% |
| 2004 | 21.0% | +72.0% |
| 2006 | 21.1% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 19.9% | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 28.0% | +40.6% |
| 2019 | 39.4% | +40.6% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 39.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46.7%, 84% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 39.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.6%, 74% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.3% | 8.4% | 12.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.1% | 21.0% | 21.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.1% | 19.9% | 39.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
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 exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon?
- Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon was 39.4% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 39.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.4% in 1991.
- How does Cameroon rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
- Cameroon ranks 48th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
- Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 97.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.