Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon

Cameroon: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 39.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
39.4%
World rank
48th
of 72 countries
All-time high
39.4%
in 2019
All-time low
8.4%
in 1991
Years of data
7
1991–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Cameroon, 1991–2019

102030401991200520191991: 8.4 % of children under 6 months1998: 12.2 % of children under 6 months2004: 21 % of children under 6 months2006: 21.1 % of children under 6 months2011: 19.9 % of children under 6 months2014: 28 % of children under 6 months2019: 39.4 % of children under 6 months

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 45 Mauritania 40.3% compare
  2. 46 Haiti 39.9% compare
  3. 47 Egypt 39.5% compare
  4. 49 Palestine 38.9% compare
  5. 50 Kazakhstan 37.8% compare
  6. 51 Colombia 36.7% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Cameroon

All data for Cameroon →

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

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

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.