Children per Woman in Cameroon: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Statistics at MYRIAD measure the quiet rhythms of human life across generations. For Cameroon, the average number of children a woman would bear over her lifetime tells a story spanning three centuries, capturing the changing shape of families and communities. Every value recorded here reflects a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there, tracking how the fundamental scale of households shifts across vast expanses of time. These figures frame the intimate realities of birth and lineage, defining the size of the family surrounding every individual.

The historical arc reveals remarkable stability followed by a gradual transition. In 1900 it was 6.5 births, mirroring a steady baseline maintained through the nineteenth century and into the early decades of the twentieth. After peaking at 6.7 in the 1980s, the figures begin a downward shift. By the 2020s, children per woman in Cameroon stands at 4.6 births, with projections continuing to decline through the coming decades. This trajectory marks a profound shift in the domestic landscape of the nation.

In the 2020s, children per woman in Cameroon stands at 4.6 births — ranking #7 of 157 countries. For you, living through this era, the familial experience differs sharply from the high birth rates of earlier generations. While the global trend moves toward smaller households, Cameroon remains among the highest in the world, though the downward shift suggests a future of changing social dynamics. This placement highlights a unique position in the global demographic tapestry as the scale of the home evolves.

Discover where you rank among everyone ever born by exploring your parallel lives on MYRIAD.