Life Expectancy in Cameroon (2024): Men 61.8, Women 66.2

Life expectancy in Cameroon since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Cameroon has risen by 29.3 years, from 34.7 to 64.0. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.6 years (from 61.7 in 2019 to 61.1 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 4.4 years longer than men (66.2 vs 61.8).

Expected age at death in Cameroon by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	61.8	66.6	67.8	71.9	82.9
Women	66.2	71.3	72.3	75.3	84.3

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Cameroon’s figures (method).

How people die in Cameroon

Chronic diseases: 36.8%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 54.1%
Injuries: 9.1%

In 2019, 37% of deaths in Cameroon were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Cameroon man has a 25% chance and a woman 23% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 30.2 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Cameroon, about 64.8 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Cameroon compared with its region

Cameroon is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #26 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
22	Ghana	65.7	63.3	68.2
23	Angola	64.8	62.3	67.3
24	Eswatini	64.3	61.3	67.1
25	Guinea-Bissau	64.3	61.8	66.5
26	Cameroon	64.0	61.8	66.2
27	Equatorial Guinea	63.9	62.2	65.9
28	Burundi	63.8	61.8	65.9
29	Kenya	63.8	61.6	66.1
30	Madagascar	63.8	62.1	65.6

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Cameroon?

64.0 years in 2024: 61.8 for men and 66.2 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Cameroon?

Yes. Women in Cameroon live about 4.4 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Cameroon rank for life expectancy?

Cameroon ranks #194 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 9.5 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Cameroon?

Life expectancy at birth (64.0) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Cameroon can expect to live to about 67.8, and a 40-year-old woman to about 72.3.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.