Cameroon Population

Cameroon has high fertility and a young population growing steadily across a country often described as Africa in miniature for its regional and linguistic diversity. Birth rates are falling only slowly, so the population continues to expand from a broad base. Regional tensions and uneven development complicate the task of keeping pace with that growth.

Cameroon is the world's 51st most populous country, home to about 30.3 million people in 2026. In Middle Africa, where it lies, that future is driven by fertility, longevity and the movement of people across its borders. Population density stands at about 66 people for every square kilometre of land.

The defining marker in Cameroon's future is its peak, expected around 2100 at about 88.6 million. After that the population eases back toward 88.6 million by 2100, having passed through 50.7 million at mid-century. It is projected to pass the 50 million mark around 2050.

Half of Cameroon is currently younger than about 18, but by 2100 the median age is projected to reach around 34, while life expectancy, near 64 years, keeps rising. For now it remains one of the world's youngest populations, with a large generation about to reach working age. An older population gradually reshapes the labour force, pension systems and healthcare demand.

Fertility is high, around 4.26 births per woman, the engine of rapid, sustained growth.

All of this is a projection, not a prediction. The further out it runs the wider the plausible range becomes, which is why Cameroon's charts show a low-to-high band around the central line.