Today power rests in the grip of President Paul Biya, formerly the Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975 to 1982 under Ahmadou Ahidjo, who was first elected into presidential office on 6th November 1982 and who is now the second longest ruling president in Africa, the longest-ruling non-royal leader in the world and the oldest head-of-state in Africa. Cameroon is generally seen as a stable country with this stability providing a platform for the development of its infrastructure and inward investment, however there is a strong movement in the former British Cameroon to break away and form the independent Republic of Ambazonia. Indeed this was proclaimed in 1999 but has gained no recognition either within and outside of Cameroon. The terrorist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) are known to be active in the far north region of Cameroon and attacks have been carried out in the capital Yaoundé in the summer of 2020 and further such attacks are threatened with Boko Haram denouncing Cameroon's involvement in the regional fight to counter them and their aims.

Cameroon is in 155th place out of 193 countries and territories in 2025 when ranked in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards of a country. Life expectancy for a child in Cameroon is 64.2 years (2025), not helped by the prevalence of HIV/AIDS where in 2020 a staggering 350,000 have been orphaned by AIDS. Many of these orphaned children, along with others who escape poverty or family breakdown, end up on the streets living through vending, begging or stealing. For more about Cameroon, explore our Cameroon profile pages above.