Cameroon — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Cameroon, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Cameroon was 65.17% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 82.23% in 1991. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.66% per year.
Cameroon ranks 57 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 30%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 64.31%, so Cameroon sits above it. It peaked in 1991 and has fallen 21% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 8%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 22 of 47 economies; Guinea-Bissau (64.81%) is just below it. That is 3% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 8th of 187 in 1990 → 11th of 187 in 2000 → 19th of 187 in 2010 → 47th of 187 in 2020 → 56th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65.17% | -0.4 pp |
| 2024 | 65.53% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 65.55% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 65.58% | +0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 65.32% | -0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 65.92% | -1.5 pp |
| 2019 | 67.45% | -0.9 pp |
| 2018 | 68.39% | -0.9 pp |
| 2017 | 69.31% | -0.9 pp |
| 2016 | 70.22% | -0.9 pp |
| 2015 | 71.15% | -0.9 pp |
| 2014 | 72.1% | -1.1 pp |
| 2013 | 73.17% | -1.0 pp |
| 2012 | 74.22% | -1.0 pp |
| 2011 | 75.24% | -1.0 pp |
| 2010 | 76.23% | -2.0 pp |
| 2009 | 78.18% | -1.8 pp |
| 2008 | 80.01% | -1.7 pp |
| 2007 | 81.73% | -0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 81.75% | -0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 81.77% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 81.79% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 81.82% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 81.86% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 81.91% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 81.95% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 81.99% | -0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 82.03% | -0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 82.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 82.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 82.17% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 82.2% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 82.22% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 82.23% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 82.23% | +0.0 pp |
| 1990 | 82.23% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Cameroon’s Labor participation in 1991?
82.23% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Cameroon’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -20.7% in total — about 0.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 65.17%; 2024: 65.53%; 2023: 65.55%; 2022: 65.58%; 2021: 65.32%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.