Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 10.2% less likely to be obese

In Mauritania, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Cameroon, that number is 11.4% of people as of 2016.

be 10.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Mauritania, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Cameroon, that number is 3.0% of people as of 2020.

live 1.9 years less

In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Cameroon, that number is 63 years (61 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 65.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Mauritania, 10.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cameroon, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

pay a 12.5% lower top tax rate

Mauritania has a top tax rate of 40.0% as of 2016. In Cameroon, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

make 23.8% less money

Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $6,300 as of 2023, while in Cameroon, the GDP per capita is $4,800 as of 2023.

be 17.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Cameroon, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2014.

Life

be 15.1% more likely to be literate

In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Cameroon, it is 77.1% as of 2018.

have 27.6% more children

In Mauritania, there are approximately 27.2 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 44.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mauritania, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 1% 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 22.0% less likely to have internet access

In Mauritania, approximately 59.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Cameroon, about 46.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 68.4% more on education

Mauritania spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Cameroon spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 11.8% more on healthcare

Mauritania spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Cameroon, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 46.7% less coastline

Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Cameroon, that number is 402 km.

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

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