Unemployment rate in Cameroon
Cameroon: Unemployment rate was 3.6 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3.6
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
126th
of 186 countries
All-time high
9.15
in 1993
All-time low
3.06
in 2007
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Cameroon, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Cameroon stood at 3.6.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Cameroon peaked at 9.15 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.06, in 2007.
That places Cameroon 126th 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.
Unemployment rate in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.99 | — |
| 1992 | 9.05 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 9.15 | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 8.88 | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 8.6 | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 8.06 | -6.3% |
| 1997 | 7.86 | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 7.7 | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 7.59 | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 7.53 | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 7.46 | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 6.71 | -10.0% |
| 2003 | 5.91 | -12.0% |
| 2004 | 5.09 | -13.9% |
| 2005 | 4.4 | -13.5% |
| 2006 | 3.73 | -15.3% |
| 2007 | 3.06 | -17.9% |
| 2008 | 3.39 | +10.5% |
| 2009 | 3.74 | +10.5% |
| 2010 | 4.11 | +9.8% |
| 2011 | 3.99 | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 3.84 | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 3.69 | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 3.53 | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 3.52 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 3.53 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 3.57 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 3.61 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 3.63 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 3.88 | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 3.98 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 3.65 | -8.3% |
| 2023 | 3.61 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 3.6 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 3.6 | -0.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 3.6 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.06, 71% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 3.6 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 66% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.43 | 7.59 | 9.15 | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.1 | 3.06 | 7.53 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7 | 3.52 | 4.11 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.72 | 3.6 | 3.98 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
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 in Cameroon?
- Unemployment rate in Cameroon was 3.6 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 9.15 in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.06 in 2007.
- How does Cameroon rank for unemployment rate?
- Cameroon ranks 126th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. 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. 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).