Direct Democracy Index in Cameroon
Cameroon: Direct Democracy Index was 0.02 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.02
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
104th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.2
in 1972
All-time low
0.02
in 1961
Years of data
65
1961–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Cameroon, 1961–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, direct democracy index in Cameroon stood at 0.02. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Cameroon peaked at 0.2 in 1972 and was at its lowest, 0.02, in 1961.
That places Cameroon 104th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Direct Democracy Index in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.02 | — |
| 1962 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.2 | +900.0% |
| 1973 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 1978 | 0.176 | -6.4% |
| 1979 | 0.164 | -6.8% |
| 1980 | 0.152 | -7.3% |
| 1981 | 0.14 | -7.9% |
| 1982 | 0.128 | -8.6% |
| 1983 | 0.116 | -9.4% |
| 1984 | 0.104 | -10.3% |
| 1985 | 0.092 | -11.5% |
| 1986 | 0.08 | -13.0% |
| 1987 | 0.068 | -15.0% |
| 1988 | 0.056 | -17.6% |
| 1989 | 0.044 | -21.4% |
| 1990 | 0.032 | -27.3% |
| 1991 | 0.02 | -37.5% |
| 1992 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 0.02 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0275, 73% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 0.02 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.033, 61% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1568 | 0.02 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.098 | 0.044 | 0.152 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0212 | 0.02 | 0.032 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 101 Gambia 0.026 compare
- 102 Ghana 0.024 compare
- 103 Myanmar 0.021 compare
- 104 Afghanistan 0.02 compare
- 104 Bahrain 0.02 compare
- 104 Bhutan 0.02 compare
- 104 Brazil 0.02 compare
- 104 Guinea-Bissau 0.02 compare
- 104 Japan 0.02 compare
- 104 Nepal 0.02 compare
- 104 Pakistan 0.02 compare
- 104 Sao Tome and Principe 0.02 compare
- 104 South Africa 0.02 compare
- 104 South Sudan 0.02 compare
- 104 Suriname 0.02 compare
- 104 Vietnam 0.02 compare
More social development data for Cameroon
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 408,613 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 140,366 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0047 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 140,366 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0137 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is direct democracy index in Cameroon?
- Direct democracy index in Cameroon was 0.02 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2 in 1972.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.02 in 1961.
- How does Cameroon rank for direct democracy index?
- Cameroon ranks 104th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.