Cameroon: Nearly half of the population lives in poverty

Cameroon’s fifth household survey, published on April 24 by the National Institute of Statistics, establishes a poverty rate of 38.6% in 2021-2022, or about 10 million poor people compared to 8 million in 2014.

The main results of the 5th Cameroonian Household Survey (ECAM 5), published on April 24 by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), present a resilient Cameroonian economy, but facing persistent poverty and increased vulnerability of households to the various shocks to which they are exposed. While the average economic growth rate stood at 2.6% over the period 2020-2023, the poverty rate still stands at 38.6% in 2021-2022. Compared to the 30.8% target set for the National Development Strategy (SND-30), the implementation of which covers the period 2020-2030, there is a gap of nearly 8 points to be closed. In comparison with the figures of ECAM 4 carried out in 2014 and whose results were published before the 2018 presidential election, there are 2 million more poor people than there are 10 million in Cameroon, not taking into account a possible worsening of the situation related to the crises that occurred in the world between 2021-2022 and 2024, such as Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas, etc., the repercussions of which in Cameroon are mainly manifested through record inflation around 7.5% in 2023.

In detail, in 2022, nearly 2 out of 5 people, or 37.7%, live below the national poverty line estimated at 813 CFA francs per person per day. With this threshold, 10 million people will live in poverty in 2022, out of an estimated total population of around 27 million. “This is due to a range of factors, including insufficient economic growth, distortions related to the redistribution of wealth, as well as various endogenous and exogenous shocks related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and fluctuations in world prices,” the survey notes. Spatially, poverty is more prevalent in rural areas, where the incidence is 56.3 percent, while urban areas have a much lower incidence, estimated at 21.6 percent. The Far North, North-West, North, Adamawa, and East regions appear to be the poorest, with poverty levels higher than the national average. As for consumption inequality, it remains at a high level, as the richest 20% of households consume 10 times more than the poorest 20%.

As mentioned above, the analysis of trends from 2014 to 2021 shows an increase in the poverty rate, from 37.5% to 38.6% over this period, thus deviating from the 30.8% target set in the NDS-30. “This evolution is more marked in urban areas where the poverty rate shows a more significant increase, from 8.9% in 2014 to 16.5% in 2021,” notes the INS. However, among other indicators that are still modestly improving, there has been an increase in access to improved and non-shared sanitation facilities, with a population access rate of 47.7% in 2022 compared to 40.4% in 2014. At the level of basic social services, the NSI notes that encouraging progress has been made in terms of access to an improved source of drinking water. “4 out of 5 people now have access to such a source, either during the dry season (81.9%) or the rainy season (80.6%), compared to 76.7% in 2014. However, more efforts are needed to ensure a supply of safe drinking water for the entire population,” the report suggests.

In the area of financial inclusion, ECAM 5 also finds that significant progress has been made, with 45.7% of people aged 15 or older holding an account at a financial institution, using mobile money, or having a prepaid card in 2022. “The use of the mobile money service has particularly increased, from 29.9% in 2017 to 42.7% in 2022 for the entire population aged 15 or over.” Regarding access to electricity, although the proportion of the population with access to electricity increased slightly to 60.2% from 58.4% in 2014, significant disparities persist between urban (87.6%) and rural (28.4%) areas. In addition, according to the National Institute of Statistics, the use of clean energy for cooking remains low, with only 23.4% of the population using clean energy in 2022. In terms of hygiene and sanitation, the sound management of household waste remains a major challenge, with only 39.4% of the population disposing of their waste adequately.

In response to these worrying findings, ECAM 5 makes suggestions to strengthen the implementation of the NDS-30, while mitigating shocks (by reducing their risk of occurrence or assisting victims) that can exacerbate poverty. This includes accelerating economic infrastructure projects and programs to strengthen the resilience of populations to support vulnerable households.

Cameroon, a country with a rich tapestry of cultures and natural resources, faces a significant challenge: poverty. Recent data indicates that nearly half of the population lives in conditions of poverty, which has profound implications on various aspects of life, from health and education to living conditions and employment opportunities.

The World Bank’s overview of Cameroon highlights the country’s lower-middle-income status, with a population exceeding 27.9 million as of 2022. Despite its wealth in resources like oil, gas, and timber, Cameroon grapples with a poverty rate that has seen only a marginal decrease over the years. The poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day was 74.8% in 2014, a slight decline from 84.3% in 2007. This slow pace in reducing poverty is outstripped by population growth, leading to an increase in the absolute number of people living in poverty.

The situation is exacerbated in the northern regions of Cameroon, where a staggering 56% of the poor reside. Political instability, such as the secessionist insurgency in the Anglophone regions and attacks by Boko Haram in the Far North, has further destabilized the country, leading to internal displacement and an influx of refugees.

The economic overview provided by the World Bank for 2022 showed some improvement in Cameroon’s fiscal and external positions, partly due to rising oil prices. However, the reliance on oil and extractive industries makes the economy vulnerable to commodity market volatility. The first half of 2023 saw an average food price inflation rate of 9.6% in the CEMAC region, which includes Cameroon, putting additional strain on the already vulnerable households.

The World Food Programme reports that over 55% of Cameroonians live in poverty, with 37.7% considered severely impoverished[3]. These statistics paint a grim picture of the daily struggles faced by many Cameroonians, where access to necessities like clean water, nutritious food, and healthcare is a constant challenge.

The Human Development Reports provide a multidimensional perspective on poverty, estimating that 43.6% of Cameroon’s population, equating to approximately 11.856 million people, were multidimensionally poor in 2021. An additional 17.6%, or roughly 4.783 million people, were classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.

Addressing poverty in Cameroon requires a multifaceted approach. It involves not only economic reforms and investment in infrastructure but also a focus on education, healthcare, and social services. International aid and development programs play a crucial role but so does the empowerment of local communities to create sustainable change from within.

The road ahead for Cameroon is challenging, but with concerted efforts from the government, international community, and civil society, strides can be made towards alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life for all Cameroonians.