Employment rate in Cameroon
Cameroon: Employment rate was 62.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment rate in Cameroon, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 62.8% for employment rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Cameroon peaked at 79.2% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 62.7%, in 2021.
That places Cameroon 51st out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 75.2% | 74.7% | 75.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 77.1% | 75.3% | 79.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.1% | 65.0% | 73.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.1% | 62.7% | 63.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 48 Israel 63.2% compare
- 49 Saudi Arabia 63.1% compare
- 50 Guinea-Bissau 63.1% compare
- 52 Nicaragua 62.7% compare
- 53 Bhutan 62.7% compare
- 54 South Korea 62.6% compare
More work & labour data for Cameroon
- Women can take the same jobs as men 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 28.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 39.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 34.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 57.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 65.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 76.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Cameroon?
- Employment rate in Cameroon was 62.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 79.2% in 2007.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.7% in 2021.
- How does Cameroon rank for employment rate?
- Cameroon ranks 51st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.