Cameroon (Republic of Cameroon)

Cameroon Republic of Cameroon
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	167th best
Capital	Yaounde
Land Area	472 710km21
Location	Africa
Population	25.2m2
Life Expectancy	60.33yrs (2017)3
GNI	$3 621 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	CM, CMR, 1205
Internet Domain	.cm6
Currency	Franc (XAF)7
Telephone	+2378

1. Overview
2. Cameroon National and Social Development
3. Cameroon's Demographics and Migration
4. Cameroon's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Cameroon's Health
6. Cameroon's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Cameroon's Modernity and Learning
8. Cameroon's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#france #UK

“French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Here at the crossroads of West and Central Africa, Cameroon, home to diverse peoples and cultures, spans the spectrum of signature African landscapes, Cameroon is Africa's throbbing heart, a crazed, sultry mosaic of active volcanoes, white-sand beaches, thick rainforest and magnificent parched landscapes broken up by the bizarre rock formations of the Sahel. With both Francophone and Anglophone regions, not to mention some 263 ethnic groups, (speaking around 230 local languages), the country is a vast ethnic and linguistic jigsaw, yet one that, in contrast to so many of its neighbours, enjoys a great deal of stability.

Cameroon's coast is lapped by the languid waters of the Gulf of Guinea and its landscape extends from the steamy tropical beaches of the south and even steamier rainforests of the interior to the semi-deserts of the Sahelian north.

With good infrastructure, travel is a lot easier here than in many parts of Africa. Still, you´ll miss none of those indicators that you´re in the middle of this fascinating continent: everyone seems to be carrying something on their heads, makossa music sets the rhythm, the streets smell like roasting plantains and African bliss is just a piece of grilled fish and a frosty beer away.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Cameroon National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
148	Angola	0.586
149	Myanmar	0.585
150	Syria	0.577
151	Cameroon	0.576
152	Kenya	0.575
153	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.571
154	Zambia	0.565
155	Solomon Islands	0.564
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
155	Myanmar	$3 851
156	Zimbabwe	$3 810
157	Micronesia	$3 696
158	Cameroon	$3 621
159	Sudan	$3 575
160	Benin	$3 409
161	Senegal	$3 344
162	Zambia	$3 218
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	25.2
2	Norway	28.2
3	Netherlands	30.1
	...
164	Zambia	115.0
165	Pakistan	115.5
166	Libya	115.8
167	Cameroon	116.0
168	Laos	117.2
169	Ethiopia	117.2
170	Malawi	117.5
171	Niger	117.8
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.4
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Cameroon's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Cameroon's population is predicted to rise to 28.81 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 4.38. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
50	Nepal	28.1m
51	Madagascar	26.3m
52	N. Korea	25.5m
53	Cameroon	25.2m
54	Ivory Coast	25.1m
55	Australia	24.9m
56	Niger	22.4m
57	Sri Lanka	21.2m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
174	Botswana	61.1
175	Liberia	60.7
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
188	S. Sudan	4.34
189=	Ivory Coast	4.34
189=	Mauritania	4.34
191	Cameroon	4.38
192	Sudan	4.38
193	Uganda	4.47
194	Afghanistan	4.52
195	Mozambique	4.56
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
17=	Malawi	05.6
17=	Senegal	05.6
19	Yemen	05.7
20=	Cameroon	05.8
20=	Niger	05.8
20=	Congo, DR	05.8
20=	Benin	05.8
24=	Burundi	05.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
120	Mauritius	2.3%
121	Benin	2.3%
122	S. Korea	2.3%
123	Cameroon	2.2%
124	Bulgaria	2.2%
125	Kenya	2.2%
126	Angola	2.1%
127	Liberia	2.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
163	Djibouti	1.5%
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.4%
165	Zambia	1.4%
166	Cameroon	1.4%
167	Malawi	1.4%
168	Congo, DR	1.3%
169	N. Korea	1.3%
170	Thailand	1.2%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Cameroon's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #cameroon #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Cape Verde	66.3
2	S. Africa	70.7
3	Mauritius	74.9
	...
44	Guinea	135.7
45	Libya	135.9
46	Ethiopia	136.3
47	Cameroon	139.3
48	Congo, DR	141.0
49	Angola	143.0
50	Mauritania	144.3
51	Equatorial Guinea	147.3
52	Sudan	153.0
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
180	Qatar	136.5
181	Yemen	136.9
182	Iraq	138.4
183	Cameroon	139.3
184	Turkmenistan	139.3
185	Myanmar	139.4
186	Congo, DR	141.0
187	Pakistan	141.3
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₉.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
127	Kuwait	44.06
128	Tunisia	43.48
129	Peru	42.88
130	Cameroon	42.75
131	Lebanon	42.62
132	Congo, DR	42.31
133	Oman	42.29
134	El Salvador	41.19
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better21
Pos.		Total Per 100021
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
80=	Iraq	5.50
80=	Poland	5.50
82	Thailand	5.70
83	Cameroon	5.80
84	Chad	5.90
85	Yemen	6.00
86=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	6.10
86=	Lithuania	6.10
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
123	Tunisia	123
124	Mali	124
125	Gambia	125
126=	Cameroon	126
126=	Guyana	126
128=	Vietnam	128
128=	Azerbaijan	128
130	Sri Lanka	130
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
169=	Rwanda	6.0
169=	Djibouti	6.0
169=	Burkina Faso	6.0
169=	Cameroon	6.0
173=	Vietnam	6.5
173=	Bahrain	6.5
173=	Venezuela	6.5
173=	Yemen	6.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
120=	Madagascar	14
120=	Syria	14
120=	Sudan	14
120=	Cameroon	14
120=	Uzbekistan	14
125=	Mauritania	13
125=	Sri Lanka	13
125=	Malawi	13
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
120	Vatican City	11.34
121	Latvia	11.39
122	Angola	11.59
123	Cameroon	11.63
124	Sudan	11.65
125	Kazakhstan	11.67
126	Switzerland	11.71
127	Macedonia	11.71
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Cameroon stated:

“Freedoms of expression, association and assembly were still restricted. Dozens of opposition party supporters and anglophone leaders remained arbitrarily detained. In the Northwest and Southwest regions, separatist groups committed serious crimes and the army committed human rights violations. In the Far North region, armed groups continued to carry out deadly raids on villages. Humanitarian access was hampered.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₅

Gender Equality Datasets:

Cameroon is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Christianity and Women: Biblical Misogyny and Male Dominance" by Vexen Crabtree (2019)

Gender Inequality Lower is better26
Pos.		202226
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
138	Kenya	0.54
139	Tonga	0.55
140	Sudan	0.55
141	Cameroon	0.56
142	Lesotho	0.56
143	Iraq	0.56
144	Madagascar	0.57
145	Togo	0.58
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
59=	Liberia	1946
59=	Romania	1946
59=	Panama	1946
59=	Cameroon	1946
59=	Macedonia	1946
59=	Venezuela	1946
59=	Guatemala	1946
59=	Vietnam	1946
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better27
Pos.		2014 %27
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
56=	Botswana	33
57	Nicaragua	34
58=	Romania	35
58=	Cameroon	35
58=	Paraguay	35
58=	Kenya	35
62=	Lithuania	36
62=	Guatemala	36
	Africa Avg	45.9
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better28
Pos.		Total Score28
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
208	Zambia	-8.40
209	Somalia	-8.49
210	Iran	-9.25
211	Cameroon	-9.45
212	Qatar	-9.59
213	Eritrea	-9.60
214	Mauritania	-9.62
215	Saudi Arabia	-11.30
	Africa Avg	-3.78
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

Although historically, ethnographic accounts among the Bafia people describe same-sex practices as socially accepted and even customary, colonial influence spread prejudice throughout Africa, leading to the 1972 Penal Code making homosexuality illegal, punishable by up to 5 years' prison plus fines. Public morality laws were then used to harass LGBT folk, especially in the 2000s-2010s. LGBT people cannot marry, adopt, or enter civil partnerships, and cannot serve in the military. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Cameroon had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination. They documented cases of LGBT folk being arrested as a result of discriminatory laws within the previous few years.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

•  ⇣  Opposed a 2003 resolution at the UN Commission tabled by Brazil, on prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and opposed it again in 2004 (it was defeated both times by the Vatican and a collection of Islamic countries).
•  ⇣  Opposed the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
•  ⇣  Opposed the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights tabled by Argentina.
•  ⇣  Voted against the 2011 Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council posted by South Africa, requesting a report on discrimination and violence against LGBTQ folk.
•  ⇣  In 2025, voted against renewal of the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better29
Pos.		202129
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
118=	Armenia	3.3
118=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3
118=	Brazil	3.3
118=	Cameroon	3.3
118=	Croatia	3.3
118=	Djibouti	3.3
118=	Ethiopia	3.3
118=	Germany	3.3
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Cameroon's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #cameroon #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
30	Gabon	131.1
31	Tanzania	131.2
32	Benin	131.5
33	Cameroon	131.8
34	Congo, DR	133.9
35	Uganda	134.4
36	Malawi	135.3
37	Zambia	135.5
38	Madagascar	135.6
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
174	Gabon	131.1
175	Tanzania	131.2
176	Benin	131.5
177	Cameroon	131.8
178	Yemen	133.5
179	Congo, DR	133.9
180	Uganda	134.4
181	Malawi	135.3
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Cameroon is a pretty unhealthy country. Cameroon comes in the best 20 in its smoking rate₃₂. It does better than average in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃ and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄. But that's it. Cameroon has problems. It does worse than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate₃₅ and in its immunizations take-up₃₆. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for its average life expectancy₁₁, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₇, its adolescent birth rate₃₈ and in its fertility rate₁₄. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Cameroon improved by +6.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Cameroon's peak fertility rate was 6.66 in 1980.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
174	Botswana	61.1
175	Liberia	60.7
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
177	Cameroon	60.3
178	Sierra Leone	60.1
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
130	Ukraine	8.6
131	Netherlands	8.7
132=	Croatia	8.9
132=	Cameroon	8.9
132=	Canada	8.9
135	Rwanda	9.0
136	Iceland	9.1
137	Sweden	9.2
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
188	S. Sudan	4.34
189=	Ivory Coast	4.34
189=	Mauritania	4.34
191	Cameroon	4.38
192	Sudan	4.38
193	Uganda	4.47
194	Afghanistan	4.52
195	Mozambique	4.56
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better32
Pos.		Total %32
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
4	Ethiopia	5.2%
5	Turkmenistan	5.6%
6	Benin	6.3%
7	Togo	6.4%
8=	Cameroon	6.5%
8=	Senegal	6.5%
10	Barbados	7.0%
11	Peru	7.2%
12	Chad	7.4%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
72	Kazakhstan	72
73	Egypt	73
74=	Burundi	74
74=	Cameroon	74
76	Malta	76
77	Guatemala	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
79	Poland	79
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better33
Pos.		1976 %33
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
45	Comoros	10.8
46	Somalia	10.9
47	Senegal	11.1
48=	Cameroon	11.2
48=	Liberia	11.2
50	Ghana	11.4
51=	Ivory Coast	11.5
51=	Sudan	11.5
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 %39
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
50	Zimbabwe	12.4%
51	Somalia	12.7%
52	Gambia	13.2%
53	Cameroon	13.4%
54	Singapore	13.5%
55	Switzerland	13.7%
56	Denmark	14.3%
57	Thailand	14.5%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better38
Pos.		2022 Per 100038
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
177	Ivory Coast	103.3
178	Uganda	105.7
179	Congo, DR	107.5
180	Cameroon	108.6
181	Burkina Faso	108.7
182	Guinea	112.2
183	Somalia	116.1
184	Zambia	116.1
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better36
Pos.		2015 Avg %36
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
144	Togo	84.3
145	Zambia	84.2
146	Congo, (Brazzaville)	83.6
147	Cameroon	83.3
148	Laos	83.3
149	Djibouti	82.6
150	Uganda	82.5
151	Comoros	81.8
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better37
Pos.		Total Per 100037
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
176	Lesotho	77.29
177	Mozambique	78.97
178	Ivory Coast	88.44
179	Cameroon	92.19
180	Liberia	92.51
181	Angola	93.23
182	Guinea-Bissau	94.79
183	Equatorial Guinea	95.42
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

Cameroon was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2010s it was still amongst only 27 countries that fell into the same grouping.

6. Cameroon's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
14	Ethiopia	61.7
15	Cameroon	62.6
16	Burkina Faso	63.1
17	Gambia	63.3
18	Senegal	63.4
19	Lesotho	66.1
20	Guinea	67.1
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
33	Tanzania	61.6
34	Ethiopia	61.7
35	Indonesia	61.9
36	Cameroon	62.6
37	Italy	63.1
38	Jordan	63.1
39	Ireland	63.1
40	Burkina Faso	63.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

With regard to its responsibility towards the environment, Cameroon ranks 36th in the world. This rank is computed using 21 data sets. Cameroon does better than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂, energy to GDP efficiency₄₃, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. But, things still need to improve in Cameroon. Cameroon does worse than average when it comes to its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its score on the Green Future Index₄₆ and in its environmental performance₄₇.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better45
Pos.		Total45
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
176	Samoa	-5.7%
177	Eritrea	-5.7%
178	Colombia	-5.8%
179	Cameroon	-5.9%
180	Venezuela	-6.0%
181	Honduras	-6.3%
182	Equatorial Guinea	-6.5%
183	N. Korea	-6.7%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better47
Pos.		201847
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
158	Bosnia & Herzegovina	41.8
159	Togo	41.8
160	Liberia	41.6
161	Cameroon	40.8
162	Swaziland	40.3
163	Djibouti	40.0
164	Papua New Guinea	39.4
165	Eritrea	39.3
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better43
Pos.		2022 Avg43
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
21	Burkina Faso	0.55
22	Gambia	0.55
23	Philippines	0.57
24	Cameroon	0.57
25	Ivory Coast	0.57
26	Kenya	0.58
27	Yemen	0.59
28	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.60
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
76	Bolivia	62%
77	Guinea	62%
78	Greece	62%
79	Cameroon	62%
80	Philippines	62%
81	Seychelles	62%
82	Tanzania	62%
83	Russia	62%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
66	Serbia	41.1%
67	Ghana	40.4%
68	Moldova	40.4%
69	Cameroon	39.0%
70	Uganda	38.6%
71	Sierra Leone	38.6%
72	France	38.4%
73	Mongolia	38.4%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
20	Cambodia	12.6
21	N. Korea	12.8
22	Bhutan	13.6
23	Cameroon	14.6
24	Guinea-Bissau	14.7
25	Djibouti	14.8
26	Benin	15.6
27	Guinea	16.7
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better46
Pos.		2023 Score46
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
61	Dominican Rep.	4.0
62	Peru	4.0
63	Turkey	3.8
64	Cameroon	3.8
65	Ghana	3.8
66	Uganda	3.7
67	Pakistan	3.7
68	Malaysia	3.7
	Africa Avg	4.0
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Cameroon's Modernity and Learning

#cameroon #education #intelligence #it_security #metric #modernity #religion #religiosity #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
14	Ghana	105.6
15	Nigeria	106.3
16	Uganda	107.1
17	Cameroon	107.9
18	Togo	112.9
19	Zimbabwe	114.4
20	Zambia	115.6
21	Swaziland	116.9
22	Congo, (Brazzaville)	118.1
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
131	Ghana	105.6
132	Nigeria	106.3
133	Uganda	107.1
134	Cameroon	107.9
135	Maldives	109.6
136	Marshall Islands	111.1
137	Togo	112.9
138	Guyana	113.1
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₉. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₀.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₁

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₉.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity Datasets:

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
98	Zimbabwe	98
99	Panama	99
100	Laos	100
101	Cameroon	101
102	Peru	102
103	Cape Verde	103
104	Swaziland	104
105	Albania	105
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better52
Pos.		2025 %52
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
170=	Zimbabwe	90
170=	Zambia	90
170=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	90
170=	Cameroon	90
174=	Eritrea	85
174=	Bhutan	85
174=	Belize	85
174=	Somalia	85
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187.

Cameroon officially adopted metric in 1961₅₃. Progression:

• 1960 (60%): French metric legacy; mixed usage.
• 1970 (75%): Standardization through education/commerce.
• 1980 (85%): Metric dominant officially; informal legacy persists.
• 2000 (90%).
• 2025 (90%).

Religiosity Lower is better54
Pos.		2018 %54
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better55
Pos.		200655
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
131=	Zimbabwe	66
131=	Senegal	66
133=	Sierra Leone	64
133=	Mozambique	64
133=	Ethiopia	64
133=	Central African Rep.	64
133=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	64
133=	Cameroon	64
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Education Datasets:

In the 1990s, the expected duration of education in Cameroon fell by a year, whereas most of the rest of the world's increased.₅₆

Secondary Education Higher is better57
Pos.		201857
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
129	Algeria	38.9%
130	Guatemala	37.8%
131	Pakistan	37.2%
132	Cameroon	37.2%
133	Gambia	36.8%
134	Nepal	35.9%
135	Kenya	35.2%
136	Honduras	33.5%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better58
Pos.		2021 Years58
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
104	Kyrgyzstan	13.2
105	Philippines	13.1
106	Armenia	13.1
107	Cameroon	13.1
108	Panama	13.1
109	Suriname	13.0
110	Belize	13.0
111	Paraguay	13.0
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better59
Pos.		201659
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
155=	Uganda	19%
155=	Zambia	19%
157	Tajikistan	19%
158	Cameroon	18%
159	Pakistan	18%
160	Nepal	17%
161=	Mauritania	17%
161=	S. Sudan	17%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better60
Pos.		201360
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
30	Moldova	0.71
31	Zambia	0.76
32	Kenya	0.77
33	Cameroon	0.77
34	Burkina Faso	0.79
35	Ivory Coast	0.82
36	Ethiopia	0.84
37	Iran	0.85
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better61
Pos.		2017 Ratio61
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
89=	Botswana	0.0
89=	El Salvador	0.0
89=	Kenya	0.0
89=	Cameroon	0.0
89=	Kyrgyzstan	0.0
94=	Cambodia	0.0
94=	Belarus	0.0
94=	Azerbaijan	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Cameroon's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#cameroon #capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better64
Pos.		2022 %64
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
76=	Switzerland	37.0
76=	Finland	37.0
76=	Hong Kong	37.0
76=	Cameroon	37.0
76=	Iraq	37.0
76=	Croatia	37.0
76=	Moldova	37.0
76=	Israel	37.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better65
Pos.		2022 Points65
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
142=	Liberia	26.0
142=	Mozambique	26.0
142=	Madagascar	26.0
142=	Cameroon	26.0
142=	Uganda	26.0
147=	Guinea	25.0
147=	Bangladesh	25.0
147=	Iran	25.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

In 1998, Cameroon became the country where corruption was perceived to be the worst, of the 85 countries included in the Corruption Perception Index. This was also the case in 1999.

Happiness Higher is better66
Pos.		2024 Score66
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
101	Iraq	5.0
102	Guinea	4.9
103	Namibia	4.9
104	Cameroon	4.9
105	Nigeria	4.9
106	Azerbaijan	4.9
107	Senegal	4.9
108	Palestine	4.8
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
141	Sri Lanka	141
142	Malawi	142
143	Benin	143
144	Cameroon	144
145	Laos	145
146	Nigeria	146
147	Equatorial Guinea	147
148	Angola	148
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better67
Pos.		Total Q67
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
167=	Egypt	51.8
168	Angola	50.5
169=	Burundi	50.3
169=	Cameroon	50.3
171	Haiti	50.2
172=	Laos	49.7
172=	Liberia	49.7
174	Congo, (Brazzaville)	49.0
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
147	Syria	147
148	Iran	148
149	India	149
150	Cameroon	150
151	Suriname	151
152	Gabon	152
153	Iraq	153
154	Paraguay	154
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better68
Pos.		2023 Score68
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
136	Mexico	2.60
137	Libya	2.61
138	Niger	2.63
139	Cameroon	2.66
140=	Colombia	2.69
140=	Venezuela	2.69
142	Chad	2.70
143	Israel	2.71
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
13	Cameroon	13
14	Singapore	14
15	Colombia	15
16	Costa Rica	16
17	Hungary	17
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
87	Nicaragua	87
88	Niger	88
89	India	89
90	Cameroon	90
91	Venezuela	91
92	Belarus	92
93	Ghana	93
94	Qatar	94
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better69
Pos.		2019 Score69
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
133	Thailand	6.03
134	S. Sudan	6.32
135	Turkey	6.53
136	Cameroon	6.62
137	Central African Rep.	6.62
138	Mali	6.65
139	Libya	6.77
140	Egypt	6.79
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better70
Pos.		Total %70
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
86	Senegal	17.89%
87	Ivory Coast	20.90%
88	Gambia	22.00%
89	Cameroon	26.69%
90	Benin	27.22%
91	Togo	34.42%
92	Mali	36.10%
93	Rwanda	38.55%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better71
Pos.		201971
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
171	Guinea-Bissau	32.30
172	Lesotho	33.10
173	Ivory Coast	33.30
174	Cameroon	33.50
175	Equatorial Guinea	34.60
176	Benin	34.90
177	Congo, DR	36.10
178	S. Sudan	36.20
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better72
Pos.		2023 %72
1	Slovakia	24.1%73
2	Slovenia	24.3%73
3	Belarus	24.4%74
	...
129	USA	41.3%75
130	Djibouti	41.6%76
131	Papua New Guinea	41.9%77
132	Cameroon	42.2%73
133	Cape Verde	42.4%78
134	Madagascar	42.6%79
135	Uganda	42.7%80
136=	Central African Rep.	43.0%73
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Cameroon - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better81
Pos.		2018 Severity81
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
69	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	.210
70	Ivory Coast	.236
71	Yemen	.241
72	Cameroon	.243
73	Malawi	.243
74	Togo	.249
75	Rwanda	.259
76	Mauritania	.261
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)54
Pos.		Lower is better %54
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103=	Mali	94
103=	Pakistan	94
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₂:

	2010	2020
Christian	71.7%	69.8%
Muslim	21.3%	25.2%
Other	3.92%	2.91%
Unaffiliated	3.08%	2.08%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%₈₃.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₈₄, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Cameroon states:

“The constitution mandates a secular state, and the constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, there are widespread government privileges for religion, especially Christianity and Islam, and routine bias against the nonreligious. The government gives an annual subsidy to all private primary and secondary education institutions, including those operated by religious denominations. State-sponsored television station and radio stations broadcast Christian and Islamic religious services on a regular basis₈₅, as well as religious ceremonies on national holidays and during national events.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₈₄

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?