Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Cameroon instead of Lesotho, you would:

Health

be 85.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Lesotho, 21.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Cameroon, that number is 3.0% of people as of 2020.

live 3.7 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022. In Cameroon, that number is 63 years (61 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022.

be 31.3% less likely to be obese

In Lesotho, 16.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Cameroon, that number is 11.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 92.0% more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Cameroon, the GDP per capita is $4,800 as of 2023.

be 77.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cameroon, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 24.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Lesotho, 49.7% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Cameroon, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2014.

pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate

Lesotho has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Cameroon, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 22.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 566.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Cameroon, 438.0 women do as of 2020.

have 51.5% more children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 22.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cameroon, there are 34.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 42.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Lesotho, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (81% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Cameroon, that number is 71% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 63.2% less on education

Lesotho spends 8.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Cameroon spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 67.8% less on healthcare

Lesotho spends 11.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Cameroon, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

Cameroon: At a glance

Cameroon is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 472,710 sq km. 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.
Read more

How big is Cameroon compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Cameroon.or Lesotho It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.