Despite recording economic growth of 3.2% in 2025, Cameroon has seen only a modest increase in real GDP per capita.
According to World Bank data, this indicator rose by just 0.6%. Population growth, estimated at 2.6%, is therefore limiting the benefits of economic expansion for the country's population.
This situation reflects a long-term trend. In its CEMAC Economic Barometer, the World Bank notes that Cameroon's per capita income remains approximately 20% below its level in the mid-1980s, a period marked by the oil boom.
Nearly four decades later, the country is still struggling to regain its former per capita income level. According to the World Bank, several obstacles are holding back progress, including low productivity, infrastructure gaps, governance challenges and successive economic shocks. Job creation has also failed to keep pace with the growth of the working-age population.
Poverty Continues to Rise
The sluggish growth in per capita income has been accompanied by an increase in the number of people living in poverty. According to World Bank estimates, more than 8.4 million Cameroonians were living on less than $3 a day, measured in 2021 purchasing power parity (PPP), in 2025, compared with 7.1 million in 2021. This represents an increase of more than 1.3 million people over four years.
The poverty rate stood at just over 28% in 2025, showing no significant improvement compared with the previous year. The World Bank points in particular to weak job creation, inflationary pressures and recurring economic shocks. Human capital also remains a major challenge, with an index score of 0.4, below that of comparable countries.
Debt Servicing Limits Fiscal Space
Financial constraints are further complicating the situation. According to the report, debt servicing accounted for approximately one-third of public expenditure in 2025, compared with less than 10% in 2013. This increase limits the resources the government can allocate to other priorities, particularly public services and social policies.
For 2026, social spending accounts for 17.9% of the budget, according to World Bank data. Against this backdrop, the authorities' ability to support households and finance the investments needed for more inclusive growth remains a major challenge.
A Fragile Outlook Through 2028
World Bank forecasts offer little indication of a significant reduction in poverty in the short term. The institution projects average economic growth of 3.7% between 2026 and 2028 but expects the poverty rate to remain close to 28%.
The number of people living on less than $3 a day could therefore increase by approximately 840,000 between 2025 and 2028, exceeding 9 million.
These projections highlight the challenge Cameroon continues to face: translating economic growth into tangible and lasting improvements in the living conditions of its population.
