If you lived in Cameroon instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

live 4.5 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 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 100.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Cameroon, that number is 3.0% of people as of 2020.

be 31.0% more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% 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

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

be 34.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Cameroon, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2014.

be 15.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cameroon, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In Cameroon, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 58.6% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Cameroon, it is 77.1% as of 2018.

be 33.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 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 12.7% more children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 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 2.4 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 29% of people have electricity access (57% in urban areas, and 5% 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 3.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Cameroon, about 46.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 64.8% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Cameroon spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 56.8% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% 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, National Revenue Authority.

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 Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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