Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Cameroon

Cameroon: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 41.3% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
41.3%
World rank
22nd
of 120 countries
All-time high
71.7%
in 1996
All-time low
41.3%
in 2021
Years of data
5
1996–2021

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Cameroon, 1996–2021

0204060801996200820211996: 71.7 %2001: 49.8 %2007: 53.4 %2014: 42.4 %2021: 41.3 %

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Cameroon is 41.3%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Cameroon peaked at 71.7% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 41.3%, in 2021.

Cameroon ranks 22nd of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 71.7% 71.7% 71.7% 1
2000s 51.6% 49.8% 53.4% 2
2010s 42.4% 42.4% 42.4% 1
2020s 41.3% 41.3% 41.3% 1

Countries ranked near Cameroon

  1. 19 Pakistan 47.9% compare
  2. 20 Syria 42.1% compare
  3. 21 Cote d'Ivoire 41.6% compare
  4. 23 Gambia 40.2% compare
  5. 24 Senegal 37.3% compare
  6. 25 Botswana 35.8% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Cameroon

All data for Cameroon →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Cameroon?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Cameroon was 41.3% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Cameroon?
The highest recorded value was 71.7% in 1996.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Cameroon?
The lowest recorded value was 41.3% in 2021.
How does Cameroon rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
Cameroon ranks 22nd out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
Is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day rising or falling in Cameroon?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Cameroon data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day
Unit
%
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $4.20 per day.