Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Cameroon
Cameroon: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 6.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Cameroon, 2000–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Cameroon is 6.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 11.0% on the previous year and up 19.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Cameroon peaked at 9.8% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2023.
Cameroon ranks 59th of 164 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.0% | — |
| 2001 | 7.8% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 8.5% | +9.3% |
| 2003 | 9.0% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 9.2% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 9.8% | +6.8% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | -6.2% |
| 2008 | 7.9% | -14.4% |
| 2009 | 8.4% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 8.5% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 6.4% | -25.0% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | +7.7% |
| 2013 | 6.1% | -11.5% |
| 2014 | 5.5% | -9.2% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 5.7% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 5.9% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 5.8% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | +8.6% |
| 2025 | 6.5% | +11.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 6.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 1.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 6.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.9%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.7% | 7.8% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 5.5% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.4% | 6.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More public sector data for Cameroon
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 2.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.0705 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Cameroon?
- Military expenditure in Cameroon was 6.5% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 9.8% in 2006.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2023.
- How does Cameroon rank for military expenditure?
- Cameroon ranks 59th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure