Photo: ymea derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Cameroon: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Cameroon is placed joint 138th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 42.18 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 8.15 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
joint138th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Cameroon on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Cameroon’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
42.18
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Cameroon: 42.18. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Middle Africa
- 37.36 Chad
- Land neighbours
- Central African Republic 43.03 · Gabon 38.02 · Equatorial Guinea 38.54 · Nigeria 33.89 · Chad 37.36
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Cameroon’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
8.15
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Cameroon: 8.15. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Middle Africa
- 1 Gabon
- Land neighbours
- Central African Republic 34.4 · Gabon 1 · Equatorial Guinea 1.81 · Nigeria 12.98 · Chad 12.73
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
55.3
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Cameroon: 55.3. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Middle Africa
- 39.3 Gabon
- Land neighbours
- Central African Republic 87.6 · Republic of the Congo 77.3 · Gabon 39.3 · Equatorial Guinea 63.2 · Nigeria 80.5 · Chad 66.6
02Over time
Which way Cameroon is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
CameroonWorld median
Cameroon fell from 42.82 in 2007 to 42.18 in 2021; the world median went from 34.26 to 34.03.
Every year’s figures
Year Cameroon World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 42 34.04 2020 — 34.18 2019 — 33.51 2018 — 35.25 2017 — 34.86 2016 — 34.47 2015 — 35.52 2014 47 34.79 2013 — 36.16 2012 — 35.40 2011 — 33.96 2010 — 33.71 2009 — 34.91 2008 — 34.60 2007 43 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 — 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 — 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
CameroonWorld median
Cameroon fell from 11.39 in 2007 to 8.15 in 2021; the world median went from 0.36 to 0.335.
Every year’s figures
Year Cameroon World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 8 0.335 2020 — 0.280 2019 — 0.380 2018 — 0.460 2017 — 0.300 2016 — 0.440 2015 — 0.500 2014 10 0.635 2013 — 0.515 2012 — 0.640 2011 — 0.430 2010 — 0.530 2009 — 0.600 2008 — 0.350 2007 11 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 — 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 — 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
CameroonWorld median
Cameroon rose from 50.8 in 2017 to 55.3 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Cameroon World median 2025 55.3 26.40 2024 55.0 27.10 2023 55.0 27.15 2022 54.1 27.90 2021 52.6 29.65 2020 52.1 31.80 2019 50.8 29.05 2018 50.6 29.85 2017 50.8 32.40
03In context
Cameroon beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Cameroon and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gabon | 102nd | 38.02 | 1 | 39.3 |
 Equatorial Guinea | 123rd | 38.54 | 1.81 | 63.2 |
 Nigeria | =128th | 33.89 | 12.98 | 80.5 |
 Chad | 136th | 37.36 | 12.73 | 66.6 |
| Cameroon | =138th | 42.18 | 8.15 | 55.3 |
 Central African Republic | 153rd | 43.03 | 34.4 | 87.6 |
 Republic of the Congo | not placed | — | — | 77.3 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Middle Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Cameroon in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Cameroon is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Behind the world median13
Statistics on which Cameroon does worse than the middle country measured.
Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 21.2627.721.26No earlier reading
Cameroon: 27.7 · world median 21.26 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at most 2 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.169 to 63.08; lower is better.
Position 38th of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.88521.664.885No real change since 2015
Cameroon: 21.66 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.25242.724.252No earlier reading
Cameroon: 42.72 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 36th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,8003,90712,800▲ Improved since 2017
Cameroon: 3,907 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 138th of 173 · derived.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.125.92.1No real change since 2014
Cameroon: 25.9 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.2320.039▼ Worsened since 2018
Cameroon: 0.232 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 22nd of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.3610.609▼ Worsened since 2013
Cameroon: 0.361 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 140th of 169 · derived.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.1060.529No earlier reading
Cameroon: 0.106 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.960.920.9No real change since 2015
Cameroon: 60.9 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 20th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.655.69418.65No earlier reading
Cameroon: 5.694 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.8320.413No real change since 2013
Cameroon: 0.832 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 19th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0537.5117.05▼ Worsened since 2013
Cameroon: 37.51 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 14th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.6080.446No earlier reading
Cameroon: 0.608 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 5th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.250.25▲ Improved since 2014
Cameroon: 0.25 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.837.721.8No earlier reading
Cameroon: 37.7 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.554.584.55Moved since 2017
Cameroon: 4.58 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.887.0836.88No earlier reading
Cameroon: 7.083 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
No current reading for Cameroon
Gini Index (last 2021), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2021), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings (last 2014), Income Growth of the Poorest 40% (last 2017), Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2021), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2021), Low Pay Rate (last 2014), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2021), Palma Ratio (last 2021), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Prosperity Gap (last 2021) and Societal Poverty Rate (last 2021). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Cameroon’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Cameroon’s 15th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability42nd of 1864/4 keys
- Energy71st of 1653/3 keys
- Work & Labour97th of 1824/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 115th of 1843/4 keys
- Digital & Technology127th of 1984/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation116th of 1764/4 keys
- Gender & Equality140th of 1834/4 keys
- Peace & Security145th of 1774/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 160th of 1944/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 160th of 1934/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge165th of 1984/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade148th of 1773/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital166th of 1963/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 169th of 1984/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequalityjoint 138th of 1593/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing180th of 2004/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Cameroon can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Tunisia43rd3/3 keysHighest in Middle Africa
Gabon102nd3/3 keysThis page
Cameroon=138th3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Cameroon on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Cameroon rank on poverty & inequality?
Cameroon is placed joint 138th of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Cameroon?
42.18 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Cameroon?
8.15 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Cameroon compare with Nigeria on poverty & inequality?
Nigeria is placed joint 128th of 159, and Cameroon joint 138th. Gini Index: Nigeria 33.89, Cameroon 42.18; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: Nigeria 12.98, Cameroon 8.15; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: Nigeria 80.5, Cameroon 55.3.
How have Cameroon’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 42.82 in 2007 to 42.18 in 2021; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 11.39 in 2007 to 8.15 in 2021; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet rose from 50.8 in 2017 to 55.3 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Cameroon?
No current reading is published for Cameroon on Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap and Societal Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Cameroon’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Cameroon (banner) — ymea derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Cameroon: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/cameroon/poverty