Cameroon: Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Cameroon's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) fell 0.43 percentage points on 2022 (from 20.58% to 20.15%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.14 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.96 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 9.82 percentage points in 1985 and the biggest yearly fall was 11.82 percentage points 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 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.88 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 81% 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

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Cameroon in the 2023 ranking

• Zimbabwe — 2nd of 4: 19.52%
• Burundi — 3rd of 4: 10.96%
• Chad — 4th of 4: 8.46%

What this measures

Total debt service to exports of goods, services and primary income. Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.

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

All 47 values

Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) in nearby economies

• Angola — 28.91% (2024)
• Benin — 26.81% (2024)
• Botswana — 4.72% (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 13.6% (2024)
• Burundi — 10.96% (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 12.62% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 13.4% (2024)
• Chad — 8.46% (2023)
• Comoros

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

• 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 total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income)?

20.15% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is up 13.24 percentage points from 6.91% in 1977. The highest value was 30.78% in 1987 and the lowest 3.14% in 2012.

Is the latest change in total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) unusual for Cameroon?

In 2023, Cameroon's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) fell 0.43 percentage points on 2022 (from 20.58% to 20.15%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.14 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.96 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 DT.TDS.DECT.EX.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB) 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.