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Economy of Cameroon vs East Timor compared: GDP & Debt

Updated on by Georank team

Cameroon has a GDP of $51.3B compared to $1.88B for East Timor, ranking 92/197 and 180/197 by economy size, respectively.

Cameroon has $21.9B in government debt (39.9% of GDP), compared to $249M (13.9% of GDP) in East Timor.

The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.

Cameroon
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
East Timor
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
Cameroon East Timor
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1960 $614,206,068 $4,827,329,402 - -
1961 $652,777,608 $4,884,469,574 - -
1962 $694,247,864 $5,033,033,600 - -
1963 $718,320,845 $5,221,397,415 - -
1964 $776,650,177 $5,406,608,720 - -
1965 $814,083,266 $5,516,149,517 - -
1966 $851,112,535 $5,770,717,369 - -
1967 $936,175,260 $5,141,012,904 - -
1968 $1,046,191,218 $5,467,278,233 - -
1969 $1,100,551,489 $5,735,255,756 - -
1970 $1,151,216,993 $5,912,593,777 - -
1971 $1,236,941,394 $6,118,334,765 - -
1972 $1,498,251,890 $6,281,929,449 - -
1973 $1,901,393,361 $6,618,369,537 - -
1974 $2,157,415,533 $7,328,802,680 - -
1975 $2,857,037,371 $8,152,930,849 - -
1976 $2,898,090,002 $7,704,916,015 - -
1977 $3,394,664,024 $8,763,561,577 - -
1978 $4,662,852,583 $10,691,808,462 - -
1979 $5,919,002,983 $11,337,071,802 - -
1980 $6,674,569,047 $11,114,265,274 - -
1981 $6,610,938,617 $13,012,879,895 - -
1982 $6,611,255,964 $13,990,954,313 - -
1983 $6,870,200,010 $14,951,689,440 - -
1984 $7,311,938,026 $16,069,264,314 - -
1985 $8,544,810,498 $17,364,955,075 - -
1986 $11,857,056,199 $18,540,851,327 - -
1987 $13,049,659,981 $18,142,844,102 - -
1988 $12,236,057,362 $16,723,414,750 - -
1989 $11,012,566,195 $16,419,195,682 - -
1990 $12,314,482,628 $15,416,689,238 $128,210,142 $481,437,141
1991 $11,840,192,296 $14,829,529,308 $147,713,000 $533,019,666
1992 $12,071,775,335 $14,369,813,424 $187,891,500 $588,770,963
1993 $16,181,814,713 $13,229,990,256 $216,914,400 $648,853,659
1994 $8,902,446,252 $13,478,291,934 $239,040,500 $695,070,456
1995 $10,864,772,471 $13,868,353,888 $262,819,900 $741,509,953
1996 $11,093,538,846 $14,452,915,010 $306,956,900 $800,698,650
1997 $10,789,458,433 $15,107,243,821 $319,972,700 $832,726,548
1998 $11,298,144,990 $15,821,141,893 $325,729,800 $816,072,049
1999 $11,565,826,465 $16,534,881,735 $225,357,600 $526,754,667
2000 $10,566,579,295 $17,168,567,485 $366,924,300 $832,683,748
2001 $10,953,485,349 $17,910,981,186 $477,443,500 $968,839,039
2002 $12,417,251,350 $18,712,860,619 $469,455,500 $903,891,443
2003 $15,970,315,035 $19,733,301,669 $490,439,100 $884,166,144
2004 $18,826,214,136 $21,124,275,033 $440,772,000 $887,702,844
2005 $19,509,852,207 $21,594,980,960 $462,268,000 $914,197,043
2006 $20,910,512,975 $22,417,659,743 $453,792,400 $876,567,845
2007 $23,928,250,433 $23,387,803,923 $542,795,400 $966,550,939
2008 $27,715,142,033 $24,053,813,244 $648,523,600 $1,076,687,532
2009 $27,932,970,317 $24,674,221,649 $726,937,800 $1,185,938,525
2010 $27,507,501,821 $25,389,533,435 $881,909,300 $1,296,604,518
2011 $30,630,910,495 $26,247,499,414 $1,042,534,600 $1,373,863,214
2012 $30,155,062,329 $27,461,703,152 $1,160,555,000 $1,440,641,509
2013 $33,728,621,180 $28,833,560,541 $1,395,727,400 $1,485,364,307
2014 $36,386,544,706 $30,482,787,768 $1,447,535,200 $1,551,797,202
2015 $32,210,233,020 $32,210,233,020 $1,590,282,400 $1,590,282,400
2016 $33,814,337,044 $33,671,222,913 $1,640,464,600 $1,638,148,797
2017 $36,098,547,033 $34,863,580,363 $1,584,878,400 $1,586,016,100
2018 $39,955,552,190 $36,242,614,249 $1,555,988,614 $1,586,017,920
2019 $39,667,757,528 $37,502,066,833 $2,032,550,389 $1,957,336,651
2020 $40,773,241,177 $37,599,547,049 $2,162,619,241 $2,582,938,998
2021 $45,011,937,347 $38,854,942,335 $3,624,889,673 $2,720,236,116
2022 $44,347,206,073 $40,306,867,605 $3,208,593,982 $2,161,456,509
2023 $49,279,410,983 $41,616,173,715 $2,079,916,909 $1,769,697,035
2024 $51,326,764,685 $43,143,796,435 $1,881,265,333 $1,730,956,216

Economic indicators

Cameroon East Timor
Gross domestic product
$51.3B
2024
$1.88B
2024
GDP rank
92/197
2024
180/197
2024
GDP growth
4.15%
2023-2024
-9.55%
2023-2024
GDP per capita
$1,762
2024
$1,343
2024
GDP per capita rank
159/197
2024
166/197
2024
GDP per capita, PPP
$5,591
2024
$4,758
2024
Government debt
$21.9B
2024
$249M
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio
39.9%
2025
13.9%
2025
Government debt per person
$752
2024
$177.7
2024
Government debt per person rank
152/185
2024
182/185
2024
Average annual personal income after taxes
$1,492
2025
$1,668
2025
Income share by richest 10%
31.1%
2021
24%
2014
Income share by poorest 10%
2.1%
2021
4%
2014
Government expenditure, % of GDP
16.3%
2025
96.6%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
4.53%
2023-2024
0.9%
2024-2025
Unemployment rate
3.28%
2021
1.54%
2022
Population
30491011
1433311

GDP per capita in Cameroon vs East Timor

Cameroon's GDP per capita is $1,762, ranking 159/197, compared to $1,343 in East Timor, ranking 166/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Cameroon ranks 155th at $5,591, while East Timor ranks 159th at $4,758.

Cameroon
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
East Timor
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
Cameroon East Timor
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $119.1 - - -
1961 $124.6 - - -
1962 $130 - - -
1963 $131.6 - - -
1964 $139.2 - - -
1965 $142.7 - - -
1966 $145.8 - - -
1967 $156.6 - - -
1968 $170.8 - - -
1969 $175.2 - - -
1970 $178.5 - - -
1971 $186.7 - - -
1972 $220.1 - - -
1973 $271.8 - - -
1974 $299.9 - - -
1975 $386 - - -
1976 $381 - - -
1977 $435 - - -
1978 $582 - - -
1979 $718 - - -
1980 $784 - - -
1981 $750 - - -
1982 $732 - - -
1983 $746 - - -
1984 $772 - - -
1985 $875 - - -
1986 $1,179 - - -
1987 $1,258 - - -
1988 $1,145 - - -
1989 $1,001 - - -
1990 $1,087 $2,032 $168.6 $685
1991 $1,015 $1,963 $189.8 $766
1992 $1,005 $1,890 $235.1 $843
1993 $1,310 $1,731 $264.1 $925
1994 $701 $1,752 $283.1 $985
1995 $832 $1,790 $303 $1,043
1996 $827 $1,850 $344 $1,116
1997 $783 $1,915 $349 $1,149
1998 $799 $1,975 $346 $1,108
1999 $796 $2,039 $270 $819
2000 $709 $2,108 $492 $1,483
2001 $715 $2,191 $588 $1,619
2002 $790 $2,263 $534 $1,417
2003 $988 $2,368 $535 $1,355
2004 $1,133 $2,533 $474 $1,379
2005 $1,143 $2,598 $487 $1,435
2006 $1,191 $2,704 $465 $1,377
2007 $1,326 $2,818 $540 $1,516
2008 $1,492 $2,870 $628 $1,675
2009 $1,461 $2,879 $687 $1,810
2010 $1,399 $2,914 $813 $1,955
2011 $1,514 $2,989 $939 $2,066
2012 $1,449 $3,060 $1,023 $2,386
2013 $1,576 $3,239 $1,205 $2,566
2014 $1,649 $3,422 $1,225 $2,860
2015 $1,415 $3,498 $1,320 $3,108
2016 $1,442 $3,627 $1,336 $3,391
2017 $1,496 $3,767 $1,266 $3,463
2018 $1,611 $4,011 $1,219 $3,561
2019 $1,555 $4,241 $1,562 $4,557
2020 $1,556 $4,365 $1,631 $6,132
2021 $1,672 $4,794 $2,685 $6,825
2022 $1,605 $5,189 $2,343 $5,728
2023 $1,737 $5,406 $1,503 $4,806
2024 $1,762 $5,591 $1,343 $4,758

Spending and national debt comparison

In 2024, Cameroon's government spending was $8.52B, accounting for 16.3% of its GDP, while East Timor's spent $1.7B, or 96.6% of GDP.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is 39.9% in Cameroon and 13.9% in East Timor, ranking 136/185 and 178/185, respectively.

Cameroon
Government spending

Government debt
East Timor
Government spending

Government debt
Year % of GDP
Cameroon East Timor
Government spending Government debt Government spending Government debt
1998 - 67.8% - -
1999 - 68.4% - -
2000 14.6% 75.9% - -
2001 14.6% 62.2% 95.7% 0%
2002 13.9% 56.6% 93.5% 0%
2003 13.2% 51.5% 80.1% 0%
2004 13.4% 51.7% 74.2% 0%
2005 12.4% 43.8% 58.3% 0%
2006 12.5% 18.4% 59.8% 0%
2007 13.5% 13.8% 75.8% 0%
2008 15.9% 11.2% 122.4% 0%
2009 14.7% 11.3% 121.8% 0%
2010 15.2% 14% 121.3% 0%
2011 17.8% 15% 133.3% 0%
2012 17.2% 14.9% 129.3% 0.002%
2013 19.2% 17.5% 96.1% 0.46%
2014 20.1% 20.7% 111% 1.52%
2015 20.1% 31.6% 98.1% 2.95%
2016 20.2% 32.1% 112.2% 4.71%
2017 19.2% 36.5% 87.3% 6.71%
2018 18% 38.3% 85.5% 9.31%
2019 18.7% 41.6% 68.7% 9.51%
2020 16.6% 44.9% 61% 10.1%
2021 17.1% 47.2% 44.8% 6.53%
2022 17.1% 45.6% 60.2% 7.9%
2023 17.1% 43.2% 81.4% 12.4%
2024 16.6% 42.7% 90.3% 13.2%
2025 16.3% 39.9% 96.6% 13.9%

Government deficit by year

In 2024, Cameroon's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$307M, equivalent to -0.6% of GDP. This compares to East Timor's deficit of -$834M, or -44.3% of GDP.

Over the past 24 years, Cameroon recorded a fiscal deficit in 17 of those years, while East Timor ran a deficit in 22 years. On average, Cameroon posted an annual deficit equal to -0.07% of GDP, compared to deficit of -21.6% of GDP for East Timor.

Deficit/surplus
Cameroon

East Timor
Year Deficit/surplus, % of GDP
Cameroon East Timor
2000 1.54% -
2001 0.86% 3.24%
2002 1.51% -7.64%
2003 0.56% -8.24%
2004 -0.46% -7.48%
2005 3.03% -10.5%
2006 28.2% 41%
2007 3.87% -29.9%
2008 2% -18.6%
2009 -0.04% -17.2%
2010 -0.93% -19.8%
2011 -2.26% -25.4%
2012 -1.4% -38.7%
2013 -3.55% -14.4%
2014 -4.09% -37.5%
2015 -4.25% -33.2%
2016 -5.88% -55.7%
2017 -4.72% -33.8%
2018 -2.41% -26.9%
2019 -3.24% -25.4%
2020 -3.19% -18.9%
2021 -3.01% -20.1%
2022 -1.11% -31.7%
2023 -0.63% -37.3%
2024 -0.6% -44.3%
2025 -0.84% -51%

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 24 years, Cameroon has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 2.75%, compared with 4.36% in East Timor. In 2024, inflation was 4.53% in Cameroon and 0.9% in East Timor.

Inflation
Cameroon

East Timor
Year Inflation
Cameroon East Timor Cameroon East Timor
1996 3.92% -
1997 4.79% -
1998 3.17% -
1999 1.87% -
2000 1.23% -
2001 4.42% 3.6%
2002 2.83% 4.1%
2003 0.62% 8%
2004 0.23% 2.2%
2005 2.01% 1.6%
2006 5.12% 5.2%
2007 0.92% 8.6%
2008 5.34% 7.4%
2009 3.04% -0.2%
2010 1.28% 5.2%
2011 2.94% 13.2%
2012 2.74% 10.9%
2013 2.05% 9.5%
2014 1.85% 0.8%
2015 2.68% 0.6%
2016 0.87% -1.5%
2017 0.64% 0.5%
2018 1.07% 2.3%
2019 2.45% 0.9%
2020 2.44% 0.5%
2021 2.27% 3.8%
2022 6.25% 7%
2023 7.38% 8.4%
2024 4.53% 2.1%
2025 - 0.9%

Top exports between countries

Cameroon
Export category Export value
East Timor
Export category Export value
Textiles & consumer goods $46K
Wood & paper products $5K
Metals $2K

Balance of trade

Cameroon East Timor
Current account balance
-$2.02B
2023
-$565M
2024
Current account balance ranking
143/189
2023
103/189
2024
Current account balance, % of GDP
-4.1%
2023
-30%
2024
Goods imports
$7.74B
2023
$839M
2024
Goods exports
$6.34B
2023
$196M
2024
Service imports
$2.55B
2023
$405M
2024
Service exports
$2.01B
2023
$82.1M
2024
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
21.1%
2024
66.4%
2023
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
14.7%
2024
22.9%
2023

Economic freedom indices

The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.

Cameroon East Timor
Economic freedom 52.1 47.9
Economic freedom ranking 149/197 174/197
Property rights 31.3 41.5
Government integrity 20.7 44.1
Judicial effectiveness 10.3 36.2
Tax burden 72.9 97.3
Government spending 91.2 0
Fiscal health 92.3 19.8
Business freedom 48.8 65.6
Labor freedom 46.5 57.2
Monetary freedom 73.7 67.5
Trade freedom 57.2 80
Investment freedom 30 45
Financial freedom 50 20

Economic freedom by year comparison

The Economic Freedom Index for Cameroon is 52.1, ranking 149/197, compared to 47.9 for East Timor, ranking 174/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.

Cameroon
East Timor
Year Economic freedom index
Cameroon East Timor
1995 51.3 -
1996 45.7 -
1997 44.6 -
1998 48 -
1999 50.3 -
2000 49.9 -
2001 53.3 -
2002 52.8 -
2003 52.7 -
2004 52.3 -
2005 53 -
2006 54.6 -
2007 55.6 -
2008 54.3 -
2009 53 50.5
2010 52.3 45.8
2011 51.8 42.8
2012 51.8 43.3
2013 52.3 43.7
2014 52.6 43.2
2015 51.9 45.5
2016 54.2 45.8
2017 51.8 46.3
2018 51.9 48.1
2019 52.4 44.2
2020 53.6 45.9
2021 53.4 44.7
2022 52.9 46.3
2023 51.9 47.2
2024 53.6 50.2
2025 52.1 47.9

More economic indicators

Cameroon East Timor
Services, % of GDP
49.9%
2024
61%
2023
Industry, % of GDP
25.6%
2024
23.9%
2023
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
17.4%
2024
16.9%
2023
GNI, Atlas method
$49B
2024
$2.18B
2024
GNI per capita, PPP
$5,490
2024
$4,880
2024
Total reserves including gold
$4.88B
2023
$780M
2024
Total reserves ranking
103/177
2023
145/177
2024
Net foreign direct investment
-$901M
2023
-$228M
2024
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$925M
2024
$232M
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$5.56M
2024
$4.5M
2024
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
3.53%
2023
1.03%
2023
Poverty at national poverty lines
37.7%
2021
41.8%
2014
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
21.4%
2024
20.5%
2023

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.