Cameroon: Country Report | 2024
AI Generated Analysis based on UNHCR Forced Displacement Statisitics.
Executive Summary
Key Trends: Cameroon at the Epicentre of Regional Displacement
A Nexus of Converging Crises
The humanitarian landscape in Cameroon is defined by a profound and escalating dual burden. With nearly 1.5 million people of concern, the country faces one of Africa’s largest internal displacement crises—with over one million of its own citizens uprooted by conflict—while simultaneously providing refuge to over 427,000 people fleeing protracted violence in the Central African Republic and Nigeria. This situation places extraordinary strain on national resources and host communities. The demographic data reveals acute vulnerability: women and girls constitute 53 per cent of the displaced, and a vast youth population faces a future jeopardized by interrupted education and exposure to risk, demanding urgent and targeted protection.
A Region Under Pressure and a Plea for Shared Responsibility
Cameroon exemplifies the immense pressure on low- and middle-income host countries, which continue to shoulder the vast majority of global displacement. The crises are deeply regional and interconnected; just as Cameroon hosts its neighbours, one single country hosts over a million displaced Cameroonians, highlighting a dramatically skewed distribution of responsibility. This disparity is further reflected in the global asylum system, where recognition rates for Cameroonians fluctuate from 3 per cent to 99 per cent depending on the country of asylum. This “asylum lottery” underscores the urgent need for a more predictable, equitable, and coherent international protection regime.
A Fragile Path Towards Solutions
While the scale of displacement is immense, there are beacons of hope that must be nurtured. In a commendable effort, the Government of Cameroon and its partners have significantly increased durable solutions for recognized refugees, with outcomes like resettlement and repatriation outpacing new arrivals in 2024. However, this progress stands in stark contrast to the sobering reality for the broader displaced population. Since a peak in 2020, the overall number of solutions has plummeted, signaling that renewed conflict, funding shortfalls, and other barriers are stalling progress. This growing gap between ambition and reality is a critical call to action for the international community to redouble its support, remove obstacles, and invest in lasting peace and stability for the entire region.
Population Overview
Population Overview: Cameroon
The humanitarian landscape in Cameroon remains dominated by the immense scale of internal displacement, compounded by protracted refugee situations stemming from regional instability. Behind the stark total of 1.48 million persons of concern to UNHCR, the data reveals that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) constitute the vast majority, consistently numbering over one million individuals between 2019 and 2024. This trend underscores the severity and persistence of internal crises, particularly in the North-West, South-West, and Far North regions.
Alongside this internal crisis, Cameroon continues to be a major host country for refugees. The caseload is largely shaped by two protracted crises in neighbouring countries: the Central African Republic, which accounts for the overwhelming majority of the 427,710 refugees, and Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin conflict. This dual burden of hosting large refugee populations while grappling with extensive internal displacement places significant strain on national resources and host communities.
The demographic profile of these populations highlights acute vulnerabilities. With women and girls comprising 53 per cent of the total, and a population pyramid showing a vast base of children and youth, the needs for targeted protection, education, and health services are paramount. This youthful demographic structure points to a generation at risk, whose future depends on sustained access to child protection, psychosocial support, and learning opportunities. The prevalence of women and children also magnifies the imperative for robust maternal healthcare and programmes to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
While recent data from early 2024 indicates a decrease in the overall number of IDPs (-5%) and refugees (-7%), this reflects a highly volatile protection environment rather than a comprehensive resolution of the underlying drivers of displacement. These shifts may be attributable to factors such as limited voluntary returns, data verification exercises, or onward movements. The fundamental drivers of displacement persist, and the humanitarian needs of those affected, particularly women and children, remain profound.
Demographics
AI Insight: Treemap of Population of Concern types in Cameroon, where Internally Displaced Persons constitute the vast majority, accounting for over two-thirds of the total 1.48 million individuals., This treemap visualization provides a detailed breakdown of the 1,481,000 individuals UNHCR considers Populations of Concern in Cameroon as of 2024. The chart uses rectangles of varying sizes to represent the proportion of each population group relative to the total.
The analysis reveals a significant concentration in one category: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who number 1,036,775, making up approximately 70% of the total population of concern. This highlights the scale of internal displacement within Cameroon. The second-largest group, though substantially smaller, consists of refugees and asylum-seekers. Other distinct but smaller categories represented include Returned Refugees (24,190 individuals) and Returned IDPs (12,811 individuals). The presence of these returnee populations indicates some dynamics of voluntary repatriation and return to places of origin, albeit on a smaller scale than the ongoing displacement. The data underscores the complex humanitarian landscape in Cameroon, dominated by internal displacement, which is crucial for UNHCR’s operational planning and resource allocation.
AI Insight: Population pyramid of the age and gender distribution for 8.7 million persons of concern in Cameroon, where the population is youthful with a wide base and composed of more females (53%) than males (47%)., This population pyramid visualizes the demographic breakdown of 8,738,661 refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons, and other populations of concern in Cameroon as of 2024. The data features 100% gender disaggregation.
Overall, there is a gender imbalance, with females comprising approximately 53% of the population and males 47%. This is derived from the mean proportion of the total population across the five age groups for females (0.106) and males (0.0945).
The pyramid displays a classic ‘expansive’ structure with a very wide base, indicating a predominantly young population. The five age cohorts represented are 0-4, 5-11, 12-17, 18-59, and 60+.
The distribution of the female population shows greater variability between age groups than the male population, as indicated by a higher standard deviation (0.082 for females vs. 0.062 for males) and a higher maximum proportion in a single age group (23.4% for females vs. 18.1% for males).
This demographic profile highlights significant programmatic needs for child protection, education, and maternal healthcare. The prevalence of women and children underscores the importance of targeted interventions related to nutrition, health services, and protection against gender-based violence.
Trends Over Time
AI Insight: Stacked column chart of population types in Cameroon from 2019 to 2024, in thousands, where Internally Displaced Persons consistently represent the largest group, peaking at over one million., This stacked column chart illustrates the breakdown of UNHCR’s populations of concern in Cameroon by type, annually from 2019 to 2024. The vertical axis measures the number of people in thousands.
The analysis reveals that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) constitute the vast majority of the population of concern throughout the entire period. The number of IDPs shows significant scale, with the data indicating a maximum value for a single population group reaching over 1 million (1,075,252 individuals).
The second largest group consists of refugees and asylum-seekers, whose numbers remain substantial and relatively stable, generally in the range of 400,000 to 500,000 people.
Other population categories, such as returned IDPs, returned refugees, stateless persons, and others of concern, represent much smaller segments of the total. The statistical profile shows that the median value for any given population group is approximately 7,414, highlighting the significant skew caused by the large IDP and refugee populations. The total population of concern in Cameroon has remained high over the six-year period, driven primarily by the large number of internally displaced persons.
AI Insight: Bar chart of changes in population groups in Cameroon from 2023 to 2024, where the number of Internally displaced persons and refugees saw the largest decreases, while the ‘Others of concern’ group increased., This bar chart illustrates the increases and decreases across UNHCR’s populations of concern in Cameroon between the end of 2023 and the start of 2024. The chart displays both the absolute number and the percentage change for six distinct population groups, with a central zero line separating decreases (to the left) from increases (to the right).
The data shows a net decrease in the overall population of concern. The most significant change is a reduction in the number of Internally displaced persons (IDPs), which decreased by 57,579 individuals (-5%). The population of Refugees and asylum-seekers also saw a large decrease of 32,102 people (-7%). Other groups that decreased include IDP returnees (-6,490 people, -3%) and Refugee returnees (-1,800 people, -4%).
In contrast, the ‘Others of concern’ category was the only group to show an increase, growing by 5,746 individuals (+4%). The population of Stateless persons experienced a minimal decrease of 250 people (-0.1%).
These figures reflect the volatile humanitarian context in Cameroon, influenced by internal crises in the North-West, South-West, and Far North regions, and the refugee influx from neighboring Central African Republic and Nigeria. The decreases may be linked to factors such as voluntary repatriation, resettlement, or data verification exercises, while the increase in ‘Others of concern’ could represent newly identified groups requiring protection.
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in Cameroon for 2024, where refugees from the Central African Republic and Nigeria constitute the vast majority., This horizontal bar chart details the number of refugees in Cameroon by their top nine countries of origin as of 2024. The data is highly skewed, with one country of origin accounting for a disproportionately large number of refugees. The total refugee population from the listed origins is 427,710 people. The Central African Republic is the largest country of origin, with 292,488 refugees, reflecting the long-standing instability in the country. Nigeria is the second-largest country of origin, though with a substantially smaller population. The remaining origins have significantly fewer refugees, with a median value of just 258 people per origin group. This distribution highlights that while Cameroon hosts refugees from various nations, the humanitarian response is predominantly shaped by the crises in the Central African Republic and Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin region.
Geography & Movements
Geography and Movements: The Crises In and Around Cameroon
The humanitarian landscape in Central and West Africa is profoundly shaped by the complex dual role of Cameroon, which is simultaneously a significant country of origin for the forcibly displaced and a critical host nation for those fleeing neighbouring crises. The data reveals a series of interlocking, highly concentrated displacement patterns that place immense strain on regional stability and resources.
Within Cameroon’s borders, multiple crises converge. The largest group of forcibly displaced people remains its own citizens, with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) constituting the majority of those in need of protection. Alongside this internal crisis, Cameroon provides vital refuge to those fleeing external conflicts. The humanitarian response is overwhelmingly shaped by sustained instability in the Central African Republic, the origin of over 292,000 refugees. Refugees from Nigeria, escaping violence in the northeast, form the next largest group, illustrating how Cameroon serves as a key sanctuary in a volatile region.
Conversely, the story of Cameroonians forced to flee their homes is one of highly concentrated displacement. While people of concern from Cameroon are found in 97 countries globally, the responsibility for hosting them is borne by a very small number of states. This constitutes a highly skewed distribution: one single country provides refuge to over one million Cameroonians. Behind these stark numbers lies a dramatic disparity, where 75 per cent of destination countries host fewer than 215 individuals each, underscoring the disproportionate pressure placed on primary host nations, most of which are in the immediate region.
Taken together, these movements paint a picture of intense, regionalized displacement where crises reverberate across borders. The concentration of both inbound refugees and outbound displaced populations places an extraordinary burden on the resources and infrastructure of Cameroon and its neighbours, highlighting the urgent need for robust international support and durable solutions to address the root causes of instability affecting the entire region.
AI Insight: Choropleth map of the world showing destination countries for people of concern from Cameroon, where the displaced population is heavily concentrated in a few countries, with one country hosting over one million people., This choropleth map visualizes the global distribution of 97 destination countries for refugees, asylum-seekers, and other people of concern originating from Cameroon as of 2024. The data reveals a highly skewed distribution. The median number of individuals per host country is 41, and 75% of destination countries host 214 or fewer people. In stark contrast, the maximum value observed is 1,036,784 individuals in a single country, indicating a significant concentration of displacement. This disparity is further highlighted by a large standard deviation (106,000) compared to the mean (12,400). The overall pattern suggests that while displaced Cameroonians are present in many nations, the vast majority are hosted in a very small number of countries, likely in the immediate region.
Origin of Displaced Populations
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in Cameroon in 2024, where one country accounts for a vast majority (over 292,000) of the total refugee population., This horizontal bar chart displays the number of refugees in Cameroon by their top nine countries of origin, plus an ‘Other’ category, for the year 2024. The data reveals a highly skewed distribution. The primary country of origin accounts for 292,488 refugees, representing the overwhelming majority of the population covered. In stark contrast, the median number of refugees from an origin country is only 258. The significant difference between the mean population size (42,771) and the median (258) underscores the immense concentration from a single source. The smallest represented group consists of 50 individuals. This distribution indicates that while Cameroon hosts refugees from various nations, the humanitarian response is predominantly driven by a large-scale crisis in one specific country.
AI Insight: Alluvial diagram of the forcibly displaced population in Cameroon by country of origin from 2019 to 2025, where internally displaced persons from Cameroon constitute the largest group, followed by refugees from the Central African Republic and Nigeria., This alluvial diagram illustrates the evolution of the forcibly displaced population in Cameroon, showing changes in the composition by country of origin between 2019 and 2025. The population figures are presented in thousands. The data is broken down into four origin categories: Cameroon (representing Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs), Central African Republic, Nigeria, and a consolidated ‘Other’ category. The visualization highlights that IDPs from within Cameroon consistently make up the largest portion of the total displaced population. The second largest group consists of refugees from the Central African Republic, who have sought safety in Cameroon due to ongoing instability in their home country. Refugees from Nigeria, fleeing conflict in the northeast, form the third significant group. The ‘Other’ category remains the smallest throughout the period. The chart visualizes the flow and magnitude of these distinct population groups over seven years, reflecting the complex and multifaceted displacement crises affecting Cameroon and the region.
Destination
AI Insight: Bar chart of the top 10 destination countries for forcibly displaced people from Cameroon, where one country hosts a vastly larger population than all others combined., This vertical bar chart presents the top 10 destination countries for individuals forcibly displaced from Cameroon as of 2024. The data shows a highly skewed distribution. The primary destination country hosts a population of 8,181,456, which is an extreme outlier and constitutes the vast majority of the displaced population shown. The other nine countries host significantly fewer people, with populations ranging from 21,963 to approximately 188,000. The median number of displaced people across these ten countries is 51,963, which emphasizes how dramatically the top country skews the data. This visualization highlights that while several countries provide asylum, one nation bears the predominant responsibility for hosting displaced Cameroonians among this top group.
Asylum System
The Dual Pressures on National Asylum Systems
National asylum systems continue to face immense pressure, a trend starkly illustrated by the situation in Cameroon, which serves as both a major host country and a significant country of origin for refugees. The data reveals a consistent and widening gap between the number of new asylum applications lodged in Cameroon and the first-instance decisions rendered. This growing backlog, which peaked in recent years, places considerable strain on national asylum capacity and prolongs the period of uncertainty for those seeking international protection.
Behind these stark numbers lies a complex protection landscape. While Cameroon processed a significant 88,877 asylum decisions in 2024, with the caseload concentrated among a few key nationalities, the outcomes varied dramatically depending on origin. Refugee recognition rates for the top 10 countries of origin ranged from as high as 70 per cent to less than 1 per cent, reflecting the diverse circumstances and protection needs of populations arriving in the country.
Conversely, the experience of Cameroonians seeking protection abroad highlights a profound lack of uniformity across global asylum systems. In 2024, recognition rates for nationals from Cameroon in the top 10 asylum countries ranged from just 3 per cent to as high as 99 per cent. This striking divergence underscores that the country in which an asylum claim is lodged remains a critical, and often arbitrary, determinant of the outcome. This dual reality—of a state grappling with its own internal displacement and protection challenges while its citizens face disparate outcomes abroad—exposes the inconsistencies within the global protection regime and reinforces the urgent need for more equitable, predictable, and well-resourced asylum processes worldwide.
AI Insight: Bar chart of asylum applications and decisions in Cameroon from 2019 to 2024, where the total number of cases generally increased over the period, peaking in the most recent years., This bar chart displays the annual totals of asylum applications and decisions for Cameroon between 2019 and 2024. The vertical axis represents the total count of cases, while the horizontal axis represents the year.
Statistical analysis shows a clear upward trend in the number of cases over this period. The total number of annual cases ranged from a low of 788 to a high of 10,199, with a mean of approximately 3,474 cases per year. The data distribution indicates that the highest volumes of applications and decisions occurred in the later years of the observed period.
A methodological note clarifies that under certain circumstances, one person may have more than one application, so the figures may not represent the number of unique individuals. This increasing trend could reflect evolving displacement dynamics or protection needs related to the situation in Cameroon.
AI Insight: Sankey diagram of Refugee Status Determination decisions by country of origin and outcome in Cameroon, where the distribution of 88,877 decisions shows the primary outcomes for the largest applicant nationalities., This Sankey diagram provides a detailed breakdown of 88,877 Refugee Status Determination (RSD) decisions made in Cameroon during 2024. The visualization illustrates the flow of asylum cases, with the thickness of each stream representing the number of individuals. The flows originate from various countries of origin on one side and terminate at the corresponding decision outcomes on the other. The primary decision categories typically include refugee status recognition, other positive decisions (e.g., complementary protection), and rejections. The statistical profile indicates a highly skewed distribution, with a few country-outcome flows being significantly larger than the others (ranging from 0 to 34,637 decisions per flow). This highlights that a large proportion of the total decisions are concentrated among a few key nationalities and specific outcomes, providing crucial insights into protection needs and decision-making trends in the region.
AI Insight: Area chart of cumulative asylum applications versus decisions in Cameroon from 2020 to 2024, where applications consistently outpace decisions, leading to a widening gap and an increased average processing time., This area chart illustrates the growing disparity between the number of asylum applications registered and the number of first-instance decisions rendered in Cameroon from 2020 to 2024. The chart displays two cumulative series: the upper boundary represents the total number of applications received over time, while the lower boundary represents the total number of decisions made. The shaded area between these two lines visually represents the pending caseload, or backlog. The data shows a consistent upward trend for both series, but the rate of applications significantly exceeds the rate of decisions. This has resulted in a progressively widening gap, indicating a growing backlog of asylum cases awaiting a decision. An annotation on the chart for the most recent year, 2024, quantifies this gap as an average processing time, highlighting the increasing strain on the asylum system and the prolonged uncertainty faced by applicants.
Recognition Rates
AI Insight: Bar chart of refugee recognition rates in Cameroon in 2024 for the top 10 countries of origin, where rates vary widely, from a high of 69.7% to a low of 0.4%., This bar chart displays the 2024 refugee recognition rates in Cameroon for asylum-seekers from the top 10 countries of origin, ranked by the total number of asylum decisions made. The analysis focuses on the proportion of positive decisions (recognized as refugees) out of the total decisions for each nationality.
The data covers 10 countries of origin, with a total number of decisions per country ranging from 622 to 53,191. Across these groups, the number of individuals granted refugee status varies from 15 to 34,637. It is notable that no individuals were granted complementary protection status in this dataset.
Statistically, the refugee recognition rate shows significant variation among the different nationalities. The rates range from a minimum of 0.43% to a maximum of 69.7%. The average recognition rate across these ten groups is 24.1%, while the median rate is 17.1%. The interquartile range, spanning from 8.0% to 25.9%, indicates that half of the top 10 countries of origin have recognition rates within this band. This wide distribution highlights the differing protection landscapes and circumstances faced by asylum-seekers from various countries.
AI Insight: Bar chart of Refugee Recognition Rates in 2024 for nationals from Cameroon, where there is a wide disparity among the top 10 countries of asylum, with rates ranging from 99% down to 3%., This vertical bar chart displays the 2024 refugee recognition rates for asylum seekers from Cameroon across the 10 countries of asylum with the highest number of decisions made. Each bar represents a country, with the height corresponding to the percentage of positive decisions for refugee status.
Statistical Analysis: The data covers 10 countries, which collectively made a total of 179,170 decisions regarding Cameroonian nationals. The volume of decisions varies significantly by country, ranging from 6,720 to 52,647, with a median of 10,501 decisions.
The primary focus, the refugee recognition rate, shows extreme variation. The average recognition rate across these countries is 26.3%, but this figure is skewed by a few countries with high rates. A more representative median rate is 18.1%. The rates span from a low of 2.9% to a high of 99.0%, highlighting a profound lack of uniformity in asylum outcomes for this nationality.
When including complementary forms of protection, the ‘Total Recognition Rate’ averages 29.9% (median 23.0%), indicating that while other protection statuses are granted, they do not fundamentally alter the overall picture of disparate outcomes. The data underscores that the country in which an asylum claim is lodged is a critical determinant of the outcome for a Cameroonian national seeking protection.
Solutions
Durable Solutions: A Mixed Outlook in Cameroon
The quest for durable solutions for the forcibly displaced in Cameroon presents a multifaceted and evolving picture, marked by both significant progress in specific areas and formidable challenges in the broader context. Behind the numbers lies a story of concerted efforts, shifting dynamics, and the persistent need for international solidarity.
The data reveals a commendable trend concerning the existing refugee population. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of solutions secured—including resettlement, voluntary repatriation, and local integration—consistently and substantially outpaced the number of new individuals granted refugee status. This suggests a proactive approach by the Government of Cameroon and its partners to resolve protracted displacement for recognized refugees. This positive momentum is particularly evident in 2024, where solutions surged to over 24,000, demonstrating a clear commitment to finding lasting outcomes.
However, this encouraging development is set against a more sobering backdrop when viewing the trend for all forcibly displaced people across Cameroon’s borders. A wider analysis shows a dramatic peak in 2020, when over 118,000 solutions were recorded, likely reflecting a specific large-scale return or integration programme. In the years that followed, this figure plummeted, falling to just over 5,100 by 2023 before a slight recovery in 2024.
This stark decline from the 2020 peak underscores the fragility of progress and the immense barriers that can rapidly emerge to hinder solutions. Such obstacles may include renewed instability in countries of origin, dwindling funding for repatriation and reintegration programmes, and the significant, prolonged strain on host communities and resources. While recent efforts to find solutions for refugees offer a beacon of hope, the sharp contraction in overall solutions highlights the urgent need for renewed international commitment to remove obstacles and create conditions conducive to safe, dignified, and lasting outcomes for all displaced populations in the region.
AI Insight: Column chart of the number of solutions for forcibly displaced people in Cameroon from 2019 to 2025, where the number of solutions peaked dramatically in 2020 before decreasing sharply in subsequent years., This column chart displays the annual trend of durable solutions for forcibly displaced people across borders in Cameroon, covering the period from 2019 to 2025. The vertical axis represents the count of solutions, while the horizontal axis represents the year.
The data reveals a significant fluctuation over this period. The trend began with an average of 90,410 solutions in 2019. There was a substantial peak in 2020, with the average number of solutions rising to 118,076. Following this peak, a sharp and sustained decline is observed. In 2021, the average dropped to 15,917, and continued to fall to 12,233 in 2022 and reached a low of 5,174 in 2023. A slight recovery is noted in 2024 with an average of 9,250 solutions. The data for 2025 shows a low average of 1,146, which may be incomplete or provisional data. This trend suggests a major event or program facilitating solutions in 2020, followed by a period of significantly fewer solutions being achieved.
AI Insight: Line chart of refugee recognitions and solutions in Cameroon from 2019 to 2025, where the number of solutions provided consistently exceeds the number of new refugee recognitions each year., This chart provides a comparative analysis of two key metrics in Cameroon’s refugee response from 2019 to 2025: the number of individuals granted refugee status (‘recognitions’) and the number of durable solutions found for refugees (‘solutions’).
The blue line, representing refugee recognitions, shows annual fluctuations. It started at 1,653 in 2019, saw a low of 788 in 2021, and peaked at 4,253 in 2023. By 2025, the number is projected to be 859.
The green line, representing solutions (such as resettlement, voluntary repatriation, or local integration), is consistently at a higher level than recognitions. The number of solutions was 13,718 in 2019, and after some variation, it surged to a high of 24,190 in 2024.
The primary insight from the visualization is the significant gap between the two metrics, highlighted by a shaded area. In every year presented, the number of solutions far surpasses the number of new recognitions. This suggests that efforts to find lasting outcomes for the existing refugee population in Cameroon are outpacing the rate at which new individuals are being formally recognized as refugees.
