Free and Fair Elections Index in Cameroon
Cameroon: Free and Fair Elections Index was 0.12 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Free and Fair Elections Index in Cameroon, 1961–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, free and fair elections index in Cameroon stood at 0.12.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.4% on the previous year and down 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, free and fair elections index in Cameroon peaked at 0.203 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.001, in 1961.
That places Cameroon 145th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Free and Fair Elections Index in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.001 | — |
| 1962 | 0.138 | +13700.0% |
| 1963 | 0.138 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.138 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.146 | +5.8% |
| 1966 | 0.148 | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 0.148 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.148 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.148 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.143 | -3.4% |
| 1971 | 0.142 | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 0.142 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.146 | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 0.149 | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 0.157 | +5.4% |
| 1976 | 0.159 | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 0.159 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.151 | -5.0% |
| 1979 | 0.145 | -4.0% |
| 1980 | 0.147 | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 0.147 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.159 | +8.2% |
| 1983 | 0.155 | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 0.153 | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 0.169 | +10.5% |
| 1986 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.181 | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 0.181 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.076 | -58.0% |
| 1993 | 0.049 | -35.5% |
| 1994 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.049 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.051 | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 0.054 | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.06 | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 0.06 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.073 | +21.7% |
| 2003 | 0.085 | +16.4% |
| 2004 | 0.091 | +7.1% |
| 2005 | 0.095 | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 0.095 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.098 | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 0.101 | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.105 | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 0.116 | +10.5% |
| 2012 | 0.148 | +27.6% |
| 2013 | 0.155 | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 0.189 | +21.9% |
| 2015 | 0.189 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.203 | +7.4% |
| 2017 | 0.184 | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 0.14 | -23.9% |
| 2019 | 0.091 | -35.0% |
| 2020 | 0.113 | +24.2% |
| 2021 | 0.116 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 0.133 | +14.7% |
| 2023 | 0.13 | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 0.131 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 0.12 | -8.4% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 0.12 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.321, 37% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 0.12 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.2905, 41% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Free and Fair Elections Index 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +13700.0% | 0.001 | 0.138 |
| 1992 | -58.0% | 0.181 | 0.076 |
| 1993 | -35.5% | 0.076 | 0.049 |
| 2019 | -35.0% | 0.14 | 0.091 |
| 2012 | +27.6% | 0.116 | 0.148 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1281 | 0.001 | 0.148 | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1493 | 0.142 | 0.159 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1606 | 0.147 | 0.169 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0793 | 0.049 | 0.181 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0859 | 0.06 | 0.101 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.152 | 0.091 | 0.203 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1238 | 0.113 | 0.133 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 142 Uganda 0.129 compare
- 143 Central African Republic 0.123 compare
- 144 North Korea 0.122 compare
- 146 Azerbaijan 0.111 compare
- 147 Burundi 0.107 compare
- 148 Tajikistan 0.094 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 free and fair elections index in Cameroon?
- Free and fair elections index in Cameroon was 0.12 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest free and fair elections index recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 0.203 in 2016.
- What is the lowest free and fair elections index recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.001 in 1961.
- How does Cameroon rank for free and fair elections index?
- Cameroon ranks 145th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is free and fair elections index rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Free and Fair Elections Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which registration fraud, systematic irregularities, government intimidation of the opposition, vote buying, and election violence are absent, and the election management body is autonomous and has enough staff and resources.