Working Paper
Growth, Poverty, and Inequality

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the growth performance of the Cameroonian economy from independence in 1960 to date, and then to use this as a background for the analysis of poverty, inequality, and non-monetary outcomes. The analysis of poverty and inequality uses the microeconomic data from three comparable and nationally representative Cameroonian household surveys that were conducted respectively in 1996, 2001, and 2007. These objectives are complemented by an analysis of the four Demographic Health Surveys conducted in Cameroon by Macro International and the National Institute of Statistics of Cameroon in 1991, 1998, 2004, and 2011. This analysis puts more emphasis on spatial differences. We also provide some policy recommendations which generally focus on poverty reduction, especially in disadvantaged regions of the country and on the promotion of a stronger and sustainable economic growth in Cameroon.