Human Development Index in Cameroon
Cameroon: Human Development Index was 0.588 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Cameroon, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 0.588 for human development index in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Cameroon peaked at 0.588 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.432, in 1996.
That places Cameroon 155th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4369 | 0.432 | 0.448 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4737 | 0.439 | 0.516 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5639 | 0.529 | 0.582 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5805 | 0.574 | 0.588 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More reference data data for Cameroon
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.2723 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 4.32 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.32 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.32 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 35.39 0-100 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -1.25 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -1.24 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 35.12 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 39.3 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -1.56 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Cameroon?
- Human development index in Cameroon was 0.588 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 0.588 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.432 in 1996.
- How does Cameroon rank for human development index?
- Cameroon ranks 155th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.