Employment by status in Cameroon
Cameroon: Employment by status was 30.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Employment by status in Cameroon, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 30.4% for employment by status in 2024. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 36.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Cameroon peaked at 30.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 1995.
Cameroon ranks 153rd of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Employment by status in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.4% | — |
| 1992 | 15.3% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 15.1% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 15.0% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 15.0% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 15.1% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 15.3% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 15.7% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 16.0% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 16.3% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 16.6% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 16.9% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 17.2% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 17.6% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 17.9% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 18.3% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 19.5% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 20.0% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 20.6% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 21.2% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 21.7% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 22.3% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 23.5% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 24.7% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 25.9% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 27.0% | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 28.2% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 28.5% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 29.8% | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 30.1% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 30.2% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 30.4% | +0.6% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 30.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.3%, 86% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 30.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.5%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.3% | 15.0% | 15.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.5% | 16.0% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.5% | 20.0% | 28.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.8% | 28.5% | 30.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 150 Azerbaijan 32.8% compare
- 151 Ghana 32.1% compare
- 152 Gambia 31.0% compare
- 154 Bhutan 30.1% compare
- 155 Solomon Islands 29.9% compare
- 156 Cote d'Ivoire 28.7% compare
More work & labour data for Cameroon
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5809 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5736 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.588 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.1629 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.48 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 36,415 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 13,402 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 45,113 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 43,763 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 88,876 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by status in Cameroon?
- Employment by status in Cameroon was 30.4% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 1995.
- How does Cameroon rank for employment by status?
- Cameroon ranks 153rd out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.