Unemployment rate for young people in Cameroon
Cameroon: Unemployment rate for young people was 6.55 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
6.55
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
149th
of 186 countries
All-time high
13.33
in 1993
All-time low
4.58
in 2007
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate for young people in Cameroon, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate for young people in Cameroon is 6.55, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate for young people in Cameroon peaked at 13.33 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.58, in 2007.
That places Cameroon 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate for young people in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.2 | — |
| 1992 | 13.25 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 13.33 | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 13.03 | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 12.73 | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 12.14 | -4.6% |
| 1997 | 11.87 | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 11.65 | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 11.49 | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 11.38 | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 11.26 | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 10.12 | -10.1% |
| 2003 | 8.92 | -11.8% |
| 2004 | 7.7 | -13.7% |
| 2005 | 6.63 | -13.9% |
| 2006 | 5.6 | -15.5% |
| 2007 | 4.58 | -18.3% |
| 2008 | 5.12 | +11.8% |
| 2009 | 5.71 | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 6.32 | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 6.31 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 6.27 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 6.24 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 6.2 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 6.23 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 6.3 | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 6.41 | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 6.5 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 6.58 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 7.37 | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 7.22 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 6.67 | -7.7% |
| 2023 | 6.62 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 6.62 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 6.55 | -1.1% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 6.55 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.12, 65% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 6.55 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.79, 74% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.52 | 11.49 | 13.33 | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.7 | 4.58 | 11.38 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.34 | 6.2 | 6.58 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.84 | 6.55 | 7.37 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 146 Singapore 6.78 compare
- 147 Macao 6.78 compare
- 148 South Korea 6.7 compare
- 150 United Arab Emirates 6.45 compare
- 151 Burkina Faso 6.44 compare
- 152 Vietnam 6.17 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 unemployment rate for young people in Cameroon?
- Unemployment rate for young people in Cameroon was 6.55 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 13.33 in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.58 in 2007.
- How does Cameroon rank for unemployment rate for young people?
- Cameroon ranks 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate for young people rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate for young people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).