Cameroon: Interest payments (current LCU)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 66.86% from 144.8 billion in 2016 (10.78% a year on average, compounded). Since 1990 it is up 534.5% from 38.08 billion in 1990 (6.14% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 14 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2021, Cameroon's interest payments (current LCU) rose 22.3% on 2020 (from 197.53 billion to 241.62 billion).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +23.6% and a typical year strayed about 35.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below 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 107.2% in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 14.7% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is upward, about 23.25 billion a year. A straight line explains 92% 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 2021, Cameroon had the 4th highest value of the 10 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 2021 ranking

• Bangladesh — 1st of 10: 706.17 billion
• China — 2nd of 10: 590.85 billion
• Gabon — 3rd of 10: 308.52 billion
• Congo, Rep. — 5th of 10: 152.6 billion
• Burundi — 6th of 10: 33.28 billion
• Peru — 7th of 10: 12.21 billion

What this measures

Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 18 values

Interest payments (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 4.78 trillion (2024)
• Botswana — 2.55 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 305.62 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 33.28 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 4.77 billion (2020)
• Central African Republic — 8.42 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 119.33 billion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 152.6 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 1.24 trillion (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea — 93.77 billion (2022)
• Eswatini

More public sector data for Cameroon

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 627.47 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 364.86 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.06% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 2 million (2023)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 34,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.34% (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 6.53% (2025)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.5 (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Cameroon's interest payments (current LCU)?

241.62 billion in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 534.5% from 38.08 billion in 1990 (6.14% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 241.62 billion in 2021 and the lowest 38.08 billion in 1990.

How does Cameroon rank?

4th highest of 10 economies with data for 2021.

Is the latest change in interest payments (current LCU) unusual for Cameroon?

In 2021, Cameroon's interest payments (current LCU) rose 22.3% on 2020 (from 197.53 billion to 241.62 billion). Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +23.6% and a typical year strayed about 35.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below 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 GC.XPN.INTP.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance 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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