Forcibly displaced people in Cameroon
Cameroon: Forcibly displaced people was 1.38 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in Cameroon, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 1.38 million for forcibly displaced people in 2025.
That represents a change of down 6.2% on the previous year and up 192.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Cameroon peaked at 1.54 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 102,083, in 2012.
Cameroon ranks 26th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 106,647 | — |
| 2011 | 103,657 | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 102,083 | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 123,068 | +20.6% |
| 2014 | 315,858 | +156.7% |
| 2015 | 472,326 | +49.5% |
| 2016 | 555,650 | +17.6% |
| 2017 | 582,147 | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 1.06 million | +81.5% |
| 2019 | 1.39 million | +31.1% |
| 2020 | 1.45 million | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 1.37 million | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 1.47 million | +7.0% |
| 2023 | 1.54 million | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 1.47 million | -4.3% |
| 2025 | 1.38 million | -6.2% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 1.38 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 56,328, 24.5× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 1.38 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70,609, 19.6× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in Cameroon changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +156.7% | 123,068 | 315,858 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 480,305 | 102,083 | 1.39 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 1.37 million | 1.54 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
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 forcibly displaced people in Cameroon?
- Forcibly displaced people in Cameroon was 1.38 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 1.54 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 102,083 in 2012.
- How does Cameroon rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Cameroon ranks 26th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 192.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.