Oil rents as a share of GDP in Cameroon
Cameroon: Oil rents as a share of GDP was 2.4% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Cameroon, 1971–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2021, oil rents as a share of gdp in Cameroon stood at 2.4%.
That represents a change of up 84.4% on the previous year and down 55.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil rents as a share of gdp in Cameroon peaked at 10.0% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1971.
Cameroon ranks 38th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.0% | — |
| 1972 | 0.0% | — |
| 1973 | 0.0% | — |
| 1974 | 0.0% | — |
| 1975 | 0.0% | — |
| 1976 | 0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.1% | — |
| 1978 | 0.8% | +970.3% |
| 1979 | 4.8% | +469.7% |
| 1980 | 6.7% | +40.5% |
| 1981 | 5.9% | -12.2% |
| 1982 | 2.9% | -51.0% |
| 1983 | 6.0% | +109.4% |
| 1984 | 7.8% | +29.8% |
| 1985 | 10.0% | +27.6% |
| 1986 | 2.4% | -76.3% |
| 1987 | 4.5% | +92.4% |
| 1988 | 3.7% | -18.0% |
| 1989 | 7.6% | +104.0% |
| 1990 | 8.7% | +14.1% |
| 1991 | 4.7% | -46.4% |
| 1992 | 4.7% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | -34.9% |
| 1994 | 4.0% | +28.5% |
| 1995 | 3.8% | -5.1% |
| 1996 | 4.2% | +12.0% |
| 1997 | 4.6% | +9.1% |
| 1998 | 2.1% | -55.4% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | +33.5% |
| 2000 | 5.7% | +106.4% |
| 2001 | 3.6% | -36.4% |
| 2002 | 3.1% | -15.1% |
| 2003 | 2.3% | -24.1% |
| 2004 | 2.8% | +19.1% |
| 2005 | 5.3% | +91.5% |
| 2006 | 6.2% | +17.0% |
| 2007 | 6.0% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 7.1% | +17.9% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | -55.3% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +30.0% |
| 2011 | 5.3% | +26.9% |
| 2012 | 5.3% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | -20.3% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -48.4% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | -18.0% |
| 2017 | 2.2% | +41.2% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | +26.7% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -13.0% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -47.1% |
| 2021 | 2.4% | +84.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | 0.0% | 4.8% | 9 |
| 1980s | 5.8% | 2.4% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 2.1% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 2.3% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 1.6% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More energy & mining data for Cameroon
- Fuel imports 24.2% (2023)
- Ores and metals imports 1.5% (2023)
- Ores and metals exports 2.2% (2023)
- Gas production 27.35 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 939.02 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 27.35 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 939.02 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is oil rents as a share of gdp in Cameroon?
- Oil rents as a share of gdp in Cameroon was 2.4% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 10.0% in 1985.
- What is the lowest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1971.
- How does Cameroon rank for oil rents as a share of gdp?
- Cameroon ranks 38th out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
- Is oil rents as a share of gdp rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Oil rents as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Economic profits generated from oil extraction, measured as the difference between production value and costs, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product.