Cameroon vs Zambia
Cameroon vs Zambia: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 3.5% a year in Cameroon and 3.8% a year in Zambia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Zambia, by 0.3 percentage points, or 1.09 times that in Cameroon.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Zambia has been higher since 2021, when it overtook Cameroon.
- In 2025, Cameroon ranked 71 and Zambia ranked 58 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Cameroon at 4.4% a year and Zambia at 5.3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Cameroon | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
| 2024 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
| 2023 | 3.3 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 3.7 | 5.2 |
| 2021 | 3.3 | 6.2 |
| 2020 | 0.3 | -2.8 |
| 2019 | 3.5 | 1.4 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 |
| 2017 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 2016 | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | 5.7 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 5.7 | 4.7 |
| 2013 | 5 | 5.1 |
| 2012 | 4.6 | 7.6 |
| 2011 | 3.4 | 5.6 |
| 2010 | 2.9 | 10.3 |
| 2009 | 2.6 | 9.2 |
| 2008 | 2.8 | 7.8 |
| 2007 | 4.3 | 8.4 |
| 2006 | 3.8 | 7.9 |
| 2005 | 2.2 | 7.2 |
| 2004 | 7 | 7 |
| 2003 | 5.5 | 6.9 |
| 2002 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 2001 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
| 2000 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| 1999 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| 1998 | 4.9 | -0.4 |
| 1997 | 5.3 | 3.8 |
| 1996 | 4.9 | 6.2 |
| 1995 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| 1994 | -2.5 | -13.3 |
| 1993 | -3.2 | -0.1 |
| 1992 | -3.1 | 2.1 |
| 1991 | -3.8 | -0.7 |
| 1990 | -6.2 | -0.6 |
| 1989 | -1.8 | -3.7 |
| 1988 | -7.9 | 9.3 |
| 1987 | -2.2 | 1.5 |
| 1986 | 6.8 | 1.7 |
| 1985 | 8.1 | 1.2 |
| 1984 | 7.5 | -1.7 |
| 1983 | 6.8 | -1.1 |
| 1982 | 7.6 | -2.9 |
| 1981 | 17.1 | 6.6 |
| 1980 | 9.9 | 3.9 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Cameroon | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.2 | 5.6 |
| 2027 | 3.6 | 4.9 |
| 2028 | 4.1 | 5 |
| 2029 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| 2030 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
| 2031 | 4.4 | 5.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Cameroon vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyCameroon: 63.7 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCameroon: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCameroon: 47.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCameroon: 3.75% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateCameroon: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCameroon: 28.4 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthCameroon: 2.64% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCameroon: 4.32 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCameroon: 55.7% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageCameroon: 17.8 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCameroon: 2.8% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateCameroon: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCameroon: 1.06% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCameroon: $580M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personCameroon: $21 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCameroon: 6.5% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCameroon: 34,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerCameroon: 0.16% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCameroon: 0.34% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCameroon: 2 million TIV in 2023Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024