Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Cameroon instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 8.5 years less

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 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 67.6% more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Cameroon, that number is 11.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.8 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Cameroon, the GDP per capita is $4,800 as of 2023.

be 21.7% more likely to be unemployed

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

Life

have 2.6 times more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cameroon, there are 34.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Cameroon, 438.0 women do as of 2020.

be 22.9% less likely to be literate

In North Korea, the literacy rate is 100.0% as of 2015. In Cameroon, it is 77.1% as of 2018.

be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 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.

Basic Needs

be 29.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% 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 16.8% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In North Korea, approximately 94% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Cameroon, that number is 79% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Geography

see 83.9% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Cameroon, that number is 402 km.

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.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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