Drinking water usage in urban areas in Cameroon
Cameroon: Drinking water usage in urban areas was 242,576 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Cameroon, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drinking water usage in urban areas in Cameroon is 242,576 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.7% on the previous year and up 81.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water usage in urban areas in Cameroon peaked at 242,576 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 51,216 people, in 2000.
Cameroon ranks 12th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 51,216 people | — |
| 2001 | 55,142 people | +7.7% |
| 2002 | 59,325 people | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 63,777 people | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 68,499 people | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 73,494 people | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 78,767 people | +7.2% |
| 2007 | 84,384 people | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 90,370 people | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 96,695 people | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 103,369 people | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 110,382 people | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 117,761 people | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 125,532 people | +6.6% |
| 2014 | 134,008 people | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 143,120 people | +6.8% |
| 2016 | 152,519 people | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 162,175 people | +6.3% |
| 2018 | 172,224 people | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 182,802 people | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 193,805 people | +6.0% |
| 2021 | 205,204 people | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 217,094 people | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 229,580 people | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 242,576 people | +5.7% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 242,576 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6,494 people, 37.4× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 242,576 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10,146 people, 23.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 72,167 people | 51,216 people | 96,695 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 140,389 people | 103,369 people | 182,802 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 217,652 people | 193,805 people | 242,576 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More environment data for Cameroon
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.211 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6539 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.4385 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water usage in urban areas in Cameroon?
- Drinking water usage in urban areas in Cameroon was 242,576 people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water usage in urban areas recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 242,576 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water usage in urban areas recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 51,216 people in 2000.
- How does Cameroon rank for drinking water usage in urban areas?
- Cameroon ranks 12th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water usage in urban areas rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 81.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water usage in urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.