Cameroon: Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Cameroon's primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) fell 0.42 percentage points on 2023 (from 43.07% to 42.64%).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2023), the average change was +0.99 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.46 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 8.86 percentage points in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.39 percentage points in 2013. 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 downward, about 6.72 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 78% of the movement over 8 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 27th highest value of the 28 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

• Timor-Leste — 24th of 28: 78.4%
• Nepal — 25th of 28: 77.65%
• Madagascar — 26th of 28: 60.6%
• Nigeria — 28th of 28: 37.75%

What this measures

Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget measures the extent to which aggregate budget expenditure outturn reflects the amount originally approved, as defined in government budget documentation and fiscal reports. The coverage is budgetary central government (BCG) and the time period covered is the last three completed fiscal years.

Limitations: Although not all countries have used the PEFA methodology on an annual basis for the PEFA PI-1 indicator, the methodology relies on standard data sets for approved and final budget outturns which are commonly produced at least annually in every country. The countries that have not used the methodology to date are primarily highly developed countries which would have less difficulty in providing the necessary data than those in the lower and middle income categories that have been primary users of Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) to date. (As of: 2024-07-29) One limitation of the indicator is that it is an aggregate indicator of budget reliability.

All 16 values

Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) in nearby economies

• Angola — 73.48% (2023)
• Benin — 97.26% (2018)
• Botswana — 87.22% (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 95.82% (2016)
• Burundi — 112.38% (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 82.55% (2016)
• Chad — 95.04% (2017)
• Comoros — 79.45% (2022)

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

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Cameroon's primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%)?

42.64% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2007?

It is down 34.87 percentage points from 77.51% in 2007. The highest value was 98.95% in 2014 and the lowest 42.64% in 2024.

How does Cameroon rank?

27th highest of 28 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) unusual for Cameroon?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GF.XPD.BUDG.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA), World Bank (WB), uri: https://www.pefa.org/node/5239, note: The raw data collected in order to calculate this indicator are the initially Approved and Executed Budgets. 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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