Cameroon: Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Cameroon's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 196.3% on 2023 (from US$21.02 million to US$62.28 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +99.1% and a typical year strayed about 285.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1,404.8% in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 97.5% in 1989. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$4.5 million a year. A straight line explains 53% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Cameroon had the 4th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Cameroon in the 2024 ranking

• Hong Kong SAR, China — 1st of 20: US$1.65 billion
• Malta — 2nd of 20: US$1.1 billion
• Kyrgyz Republic — 3rd of 20: US$77.11 million
• Jordan — 5th of 20: US$32.68 million
• Tanzania — 6th of 20: US$25.96 million
• Namibia — 7th of 20: US$24.48 million

What this measures

Charges for the use of proprietary rights (such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial processes and designs including trade secrets, franchises), and charges for licenses to reproduce or distribute (or both) intellectual property embodied in produced originals or prototypes (such as copyrights on books and manuscripts, computer software, cinematographic works, and sound recordings) and related rights (such as for live performances and television, cable, or satellite broadcast). This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 38 values

Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$106.74 million (2025)
• Benin — US$401,153 (2020)
• Botswana — US$75.39 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$387,343 (2024)
• Burundi — US$588,733 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$2.46 million (2025)
• Comoros — US$2.36 million (2023)
• Côte d'Ivoire — US$17.76 million (2024)

More economic policy & debt data for Cameroon

• General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$5.05 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 3.02 trillion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$34.19 billion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 20.13 trillion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$1,144 (2025)
• Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$39.23 billion (2025)
• Final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 23.14 trillion (2025)
• Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Cameroon's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)?

US$62.28 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1986?

It is up 3,752% from US$1.62 million in 1986 (10.08% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$62.28 million in 2024 and the lowest US$31,347 in 1989.

How does Cameroon rank?

4th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) unusual for Cameroon?

In 2024, Cameroon's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 196.3% on 2023 (from US$21.02 million to US$62.28 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +99.1% and a typical year strayed about 285.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BM.GSR.ROYL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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