Cameroon: Subsidies and other transfers (current LCU)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 102.79% from 359.1 billion in 2016 (15.19% a year on average, compounded). Since 1990 it is up 1,025% from 64.72 billion in 1990 (8.12% 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 subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) rose 18.5% on 2020 (from 614.75 billion to 728.23 billion).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +11% and a typical year strayed about 45.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 131.2% in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 42.8% in 2017. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 16% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

Closest to Cameroon in the 2021 ranking

• Bangladesh — 1st of 8: 1 trillion
• Congo, Rep. — 3rd of 8: 436.66 billion
• Gabon — 4th of 8: 268.08 billion
• Burundi — 5th of 8: 263.13 billion

What this measures

Subsidies are current unrequited payments that government units, including nonresident government units, make to enterprises on the basis of the levels of their production activities or the quantities or values of the goods or services that they produce, sell, export or import. 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

Subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 3.5 trillion (2024)
• Botswana — 10.66 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 726.91 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 263.13 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 15.36 billion (2020)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1.89 trillion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 436.66 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 3.82 trillion (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea — 144.57 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

• 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 subsidies and other transfers (current LCU)?

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

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 1,025% from 64.72 billion in 1990 (8.12% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 728.23 billion in 2021 and the lowest 57.94 billion in 1994.

Is the latest change in subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) unusual for Cameroon?

In 2021, Cameroon's subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) rose 18.5% on 2020 (from 614.75 billion to 728.23 billion). Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +11% and a typical year strayed about 45.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.TRFT.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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.