Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 0.9 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 65 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 3.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Mali, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Cameroon, that number is 3.0% of people as of 2020.

be 32.6% more likely to be obese

In Mali, 8.6% 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

Mali 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 15.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mali, 44.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Cameroon, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2014.

be 21.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Mali, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cameroon, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

Life

be 2.2 times more likely to be literate

In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.5% as of 2018. In Cameroon, it is 77.1% as of 2018.

be 19.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Mali, approximately 60.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Cameroon, on the other hand, 48.7 children do as of 2022.

have 15.5% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 41.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Cameroon, there are 34.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 34.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mali, approximately 53% of people have electricity access (97% in urban areas, and 18% 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.

be 35.3% more likely to have internet access

In Mali, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Cameroon, about 46.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 27.3% less on education

Mali spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Cameroon spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 11.6% less on healthcare

Mali spends 4.3% 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.

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

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