1. Diverging pathsSri Lanka and Cameroon

   Sri Lanka and Cameroon: similar GDP per person in 1990, 2.9 times apart in 2025

   Sri LankaCameroon

   Output per person a year, in 2021 dollars adjusted for price differences: $4,600 in Sri Lanka and $4,500 in Cameroon in 1990; $14,600 and $4,900 in 2025. Sri Lanka grew 3.2-fold; Cameroon rose 9%.

   Source: World Bank (WDI, ITU and UNESCO data); UN WPP 2024Open on the chart →

More findings

• Cameroon: more babies born than in Japan
• Cameroon: more adults live with obesity than use tobacco
• Cameroon: the share of adults with obesity has overtaken the share going hungry
• Sri Lanka: the share of adults with obesity has overtaken the share going hungry
• Goals to lengthen lives: 7 of 13 came true on time. Sri Lanka expected 80 years by 2016 and had 76.1
• Cameroon: the decline of 2020 turned into growth, after the fact

All findings →