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Africa · Middle Africa

Cameroon Demographics

Cameroon has a fast-growing, young population profile, with fertility above replacement level, a low older-age share, and an urban population approaching three-fifths of total population.

Core values use UN DESA World Population Prospects 2024 medium-variant estimates and projections, UNFPA dashboard values, World Bank WDI indicators, and Cameroon census references where noted. UN WPP marks 2024 onward as projection, not observed census counts.

Last updated: July 2, 2026

Core Demographic Indicators

Population 30,640,817 2026 · UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Population growth 2.55% 2026 · UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Median age 18.2 years 2026 · UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Fertility rate 4.12 Births per woman · 2026 · UN WPP 2024 medium variant
Life expectancy 64.5 years At birth · both sexes · 2026 · UN WPP 2024
Urban population 59.85% 18,337,769 people · 2026 · UN WPP/WUP table
Aged 65+ 2.8% 841,882 people · 2025 · UN WPP 2024-based age table
Net migration -18,922 2026 · UN WPP 2024 medium variant

Detailed Demographic Indicators

IndicatorValueYearSource
Total population30,640,8172026UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Latest rounded UNFPA population29,900,0002025UNFPA World Population Dashboard, based on UN WPP 2024
Annual population growth2.55%2026UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Annual population change+761,4802026UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Net migration-18,9222026UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
ImmigrationData not availableData not availableSeparate immigration count not available in the current dataset
EmigrationData not availableData not availableSeparate emigration count not available in the current dataset
Median age18.2 years2026UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Total fertility rate4.12 births per woman2026UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes64.5 years2026UN WPP 2024 via Worldometer demographics table
Life expectancy at birth, male62.3 years2026UN WPP 2024 via Worldometer demographics table
Life expectancy at birth, female66.8 years2026UN WPP 2024 via Worldometer demographics table
Female-male life expectancy gap4.5 years2026Calculated from listed male and female life expectancy values
Urban population share59.85%2026UN WPP/WUP-based table via Worldometer
Urban population count18,337,7692026UN WPP/WUP-based table via Worldometer
Population density65 people per km²2026UN WPP-based table; land area 472,710 km²
Land area used for density472,710 km²2026Worldometer country table
Global population rank512026Worldometer country table based on UN population estimates
Share of world population0.37%2026Worldometer country table based on UN population estimates
Population aged 0-1412,285,607 · 41.1%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
Population aged 15-6416,751,856 · 56.1%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
Population aged 65+841,882 · 2.8%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
Male population14,890,233 · 49.8%2025UN WPP 2024-based population pyramid table
Female population14,989,112 · 50.2%2025UN WPP 2024-based population pyramid table
Sex ratio99.3 males per 100 females2025UN WPP 2024-based population pyramid table
Total dependency ratio78.4 dependents per 100 working-age people2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
Infant mortality43.6 per 1,000 live births2026UN WPP 2024 via Worldometer demographics table
Under-5 mortality62.3 per 1,000 live births2026UN WPP 2024 via Worldometer demographics table
Last completed census count17,463,8362005Cameroon 3rd General Population and Housing Census / BUCREP reference
Table analysis
  • The 2026 population value is 30,640,817, but it is a UN WPP 2024 medium-variant projection rather than a completed census count.
  • The 2005 census count was 17,463,836, while the UN-based 2026 mid-year figure is about 13.2 million higher.
  • Cameroon’s fertility rate is 4.12 births per woman in the 2026 medium-variant table, above the 2.1 replacement-level benchmark.
  • The age profile is young: the 2025 age table places 41.1% of the population at ages 0-14 and 2.8% at ages 65+.
  • The urban population value is a source-defined urban measure; it should not be read as a municipal boundary count.

Population Trend

Cameroon Population, 1955-2026

Mid-year population estimates and medium-variant projection values

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: UN DESA World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant, reproduced in the Worldometer country table. Values from 2024 onward are projection values in WPP 2024.

Trend analysis
  • The population rose from 4.7 million in 1955 to 30.6 million in 2026 in the UN-based series.
  • The 2000 to 2026 increase is 15.7 million, more than doubling the 2000 population level.
  • The 2024, 2025 and 2026 points are projection values in WPP 2024, so they should not be treated as census observations.

Detailed Population History

YearPopulationYearly % changeYearly changeNet migrationMedian ageFertility rateDensityUrban pop %Urban populationWorld shareWorld populationGlobal rankSource
202630,640,8172.55%761,480-18,92218.24.126559.8%18,337,7690.37%8,300,678,39551UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
202529,879,3372.59%755,593-15,37918.04.186359.4%17,739,6760.36%8,231,613,07051UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
202429,123,7442.65%751,057-13,89217.94.266258.9%17,154,3480.36%8,161,972,57252UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
202328,372,6872.68%739,916-4,79817.84.326058.4%16,581,8770.35%8,091,734,93052UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
202227,632,7712.68%711,107-4,79817.64.405858.0%16,022,2620.34%8,021,407,19253UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
202026,210,5582.86%689,429-9,88817.44.565557.0%14,941,5230.33%7,887,001,29253UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
201522,763,4142.97%619,07042,00817.24.844854.7%12,462,6150.30%7,470,491,87256UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
201019,668,0662.87%518,694-9,36616.85.154252.4%10,296,6080.28%7,021,732,14859UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
200517,074,5942.74%432,393-27,77516.65.423649.5%8,456,1750.26%6,586,970,13259UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
200014,912,6312.69%370,823-21,22116.25.513246.6%6,956,1180.24%6,171,702,99362UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
199513,058,5162.88%345,339-12,66115.85.922843.9%5,730,7110.23%5,758,878,98262UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
199011,331,8213.03%314,018-8,16315.76.362441.0%4,645,9410.21%5,327,803,11061UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
19859,761,7302.78%249,902-3,60415.96.562137.3%3,641,3110.20%4,868,943,46568UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
19808,512,2192.85%223,02070,58916.76.611832.3%2,751,1060.19%4,447,606,23667UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
19757,397,1202.78%189,465-23717.46.401627.5%2,035,2480.18%4,070,735,27770UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
19706,449,7932.49%149,021-36718.16.201420.5%1,325,1100.17%3,694,683,79470UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
19655,704,6862.03%109,126-3918.95.801217.1%975,3140.17%3,334,533,70372UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
19605,159,0571.88%91,760019.55.721114.0%721,3990.17%3,015,470,89472UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
19554,700,2571.65%74,035019.65.741011.4%537,9040.17%2,740,213,79272UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Table analysis
  • The growth rate peaks in this displayed table at 3.03% in 1990.
  • Urban population share rises from 11.4% in 1955 to 59.8% in 2026.
  • The fertility rate moves from 6.61 births per woman in 1980 to 4.12 in 2026.
  • Density rises from 10 people per km² in 1955 to 65 people per km² in 2026 using the 472,710 km² land area.
  • The WPP-based 2005 estimate differs from the 2005 census count; census count and modelled mid-year series should not be merged as identical measures.

Population Growth and Migration Balance

Annual Population Growth Rate

Displayed selected years from the UN WPP-based series

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Source: UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table. Values from 2024 onward are projection values.

Chart analysis
  • Displayed growth remains above 2.5% from 1975 through 2026.
  • The 2026 value of 2.55% is lower than the 1990 value of 3.03%.
  • Net migration is negative in 2026, but the population series still rises because births exceed deaths in the projection table.
YearNet migrationMigration directionSource
19600Balanced or rounded to zeroUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
1970-367Negative net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
198070,589Positive net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
1990-8,163Negative net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
2000-21,221Negative net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
2010-9,366Negative net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
201542,008Positive net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
2020-9,888Negative net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
2023-4,798Negative net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
2026-18,922Negative net migrationUN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table
Table analysis
  • The displayed series includes both positive and negative net migration years.
  • The largest positive value in this table is 70,589 in 1980.
  • The 2026 value is -18,922; immigration and emigration counts are not separated in the current WPP-based table.

Age Structure

Broad Age Structure, 2025

Population count by broad age group

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Source: UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table. Broad groups are not a population pyramid.

Chart analysis
  • Ages 0-14 account for 12,285,607 people in 2025.
  • Ages 15-64 account for 16,751,856 people, the largest broad group.
  • Ages 65+ account for 841,882 people, or 2.8% of the 2025 age table total.

Five-Year Age Distribution, 2025

Total population by five-year age group

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Source: UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table. Values are total population counts, not male/female counts.

Age groupPopulationShareYearSource
0-44,497,81615.1%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
5-94,147,17913.9%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
10-143,640,61212.2%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
15-193,231,48410.8%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
20-242,719,3579.1%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
25-292,306,4217.7%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
30-342,045,7516.8%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
35-391,767,0455.9%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
40-441,456,6924.9%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
45-491,152,1563.9%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
50-54900,1803.0%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
55-59676,5492.3%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
60-64496,2211.7%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
65-69361,1031.2%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
70-74238,1690.8%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
75-79138,3640.5%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
80-8470,8440.2%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
85-8926,2410.1%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
90-946,2240.0%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
95-998750.0%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
100+620.0%2025UN WPP 2024-based age distribution table
Table analysis
  • The three youngest five-year groups together contain 12,285,607 people.
  • The largest single group is 0-4, with 4,497,816 people.
  • The 65+ groups together contain 841,882 people, compared with 12,285,607 in ages 0-14.
  • The data are five-year total age counts; they do not separate male and female population inside each five-year group.

Fertility and Life Expectancy

Fertility Rate Compared With Replacement Level

Births per woman, 2026 medium-variant value

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Source: UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer table. Replacement level is a broad benchmark of 2.1 births per woman.

Chart analysis
  • Cameroon’s 2026 fertility value is 4.12 births per woman.
  • The value is 2.02 births per woman above the 2.1 replacement-level benchmark.
  • The fertility value comes from a modelled UN WPP series, not a household survey field count.

Life Expectancy by Sex

Life expectancy at birth, 2026

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Source: UN WPP 2024 via Worldometer demographics table.

Chart analysis
  • Female life expectancy is 66.8 years, compared with 62.3 years for males.
  • The female-male gap is 4.5 years.
  • The both-sexes value is 64.5 years.

Urbanization

Urban Population Share, 1955-2026

Share of population classified as urban

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Source: UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer. Urban population uses source-defined urban classification.

YearUrban shareUrban populationSource
195511.4%537,904UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
196014.0%721,399UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
197020.5%1,325,110UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
198032.3%2,751,106UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
199041.0%4,645,941UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
200046.6%6,956,118UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
201052.4%10,296,608UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
202057.0%14,941,523UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
202455.403%16,135,479World Bank WDI reproduced by CEIC; national urban definition
202659.85%18,337,769UN WPP/WUP-based country table via Worldometer
Trend analysis
  • The displayed urban share rises from 11.4% in 1955 to 59.85% in 2026.
  • The urban population count rises from 537,904 in 1955 to 18,337,769 in 2026.
  • The 2024 World Bank WDI urban share differs from the UN WPP/WUP-based table used for the longer series; the source note should be kept when comparing values.

Broad Age-Sex Structure

Male and Female Population by Broad Age Group, 2023

Broad age-sex counts from World Bank WDI data reproduced by CEIC

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Source: World Bank WDI indicators reproduced by CEIC. This is not a full population pyramid because matching five-year male/female counts are not shown in the current primary table.

Age groupMaleFemaleTotalMale shareFemale shareSex ratioYearSource
0-145,968,1705,880,42211,848,59250.37%49.63%101.49 males per 100 females2023World Bank WDI reproduced by CEIC; sex ratio and shares calculated from listed counts
15-647,820,5467,916,25315,736,79949.70%50.30%98.79 males per 100 females2023World Bank WDI reproduced by CEIC; sex ratio and shares calculated from listed counts
65+351,870435,426787,29644.69%55.31%80.81 males per 100 females2023World Bank WDI reproduced by CEIC; sex ratio and shares calculated from listed counts
Age-sex analysis
  • Ages 0-14 are slightly male-heavy, with 101.49 males per 100 females.
  • Ages 15-64 are close to balance, with 98.79 males per 100 females.
  • Ages 65+ are female-heavy, with 80.81 males per 100 females.
  • The older-age female surplus is 83,556 people in the listed 2023 broad age-sex counts.
  • A full five-year population pyramid is not shown because the visible primary dataset used here provides broad male/female age groups, not a complete same-year five-year age-sex matrix.

Population Projection Scenario

Medium-Variant Population Projection, 2030-2050

Scenario-based projection values

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Source: UN WPP 2024 medium variant via Worldometer forecast table. Projection values are scenario-based estimates, not guaranteed predictions.

YearProjected populationYearly % changeYearly changeNet migration assumptionMedian ageFertility rateDensityUrban pop %Urban populationScenarioSource
203033,777,1902.48%779,571-16,47418.93.887161.7%20,857,109Medium variantUN WPP 2024 via Worldometer forecast table
203537,893,8182.33%823,326-18,27119.83.588064.1%24,290,758Medium variantUN WPP 2024 via Worldometer forecast table
204042,208,0032.18%862,837-21,46220.93.358966.5%28,048,983Medium variantUN WPP 2024 via Worldometer forecast table
204546,629,0392.01%884,207-23,95222.03.139968.9%32,105,585Medium variantUN WPP 2024 via Worldometer forecast table
205051,096,3171.85%893,456-28,02523.12.9610871.3%36,415,328Medium variantUN WPP 2024 via Worldometer forecast table
Projection analysis
  • The medium-variant projection reaches 51,096,317 in 2050.
  • The projected fertility rate declines from 3.88 in 2030 to 2.96 in 2050.
  • The projected urban share rises from 61.7% in 2030 to 71.3% in 2050.
  • Projected annual growth declines from 2.48% in 2030 to 1.85% in 2050.
  • Projection rows are scenario-based estimates and should be stored separately from observed census counts.

Largest Urban Areas

RankUrban areaPopulation estimateYearSource note
1Yaoundé5,106,0872025Worldometer urban area table; includes boroughs, districts or agglomeration-style areas
2Douala4,104,5162025Worldometer urban area table; includes boroughs, districts or agglomeration-style areas
3Garoua678,7692025Worldometer urban area table
4Maroua526,7022025Worldometer urban area table
5Bamenda394,1552025Worldometer urban area table
6Ngaoundéré345,1482025Worldometer urban area table
7Kumba329,3402025Worldometer urban area table
8Bafoussam321,4892025Worldometer urban area table
9Kousseri244,2472025Worldometer urban area table
10Bertoua235,3992025Worldometer urban area table
Table analysis
  • Yaoundé is the largest listed urban area, with 5,106,087 people in the 2025 estimate.
  • Douala is second, with 4,104,516 people.
  • The top two listed urban areas together account for 9,210,603 people in this table.
  • These are urban-area estimates and should not be read as strict municipal administrative counts.

Regional Population Comparison

Population Compared With Nearby and Similar-Scale African Countries

Same dataset family, 2026 country table values

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Source: Worldometer 2026 country tables based on UN Population Division estimates. Values use the same table family for comparison.

CountryPopulationGrowth rateNet migrationFertility rateMedian ageUrban shareSource note
Angola40,215,179Data not availableData not available4.916.769.4%Worldometer 2026 country and demographics tables; same source family, some fields not visible in the retrieved table text
Ghana35,697,5571.81%-24,1953.321.659.2%Worldometer 2026 Africa country table and Ghana country table
Côte d’Ivoire33,494,3462.39%6,5354.118.549.5%Worldometer 2026 Africa country table and demographics table
Cameroon30,640,8172.55%-18,9224.1218.259.85%Worldometer 2026 country table based on UN WPP 2024
Niger28,814,8783.21%-10,6205.615.718.5%Worldometer 2026 Africa country table and Niger country table
Comparison analysis
  • In this comparison set, Cameroon’s 2026 population is below Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola, but above Niger.
  • Cameroon’s 2026 fertility value of 4.12 is close to Côte d’Ivoire’s 4.1, below Niger’s 5.6, and above Ghana’s 3.3.
  • Cameroon’s urban share of 59.85% is close to Ghana’s 59.2% in the same table family.
  • Some Angola comparison fields were not visible in the retrieved source table text and are marked as “Data not available” rather than filled from a weaker fallback.

Demographic Overview

Population direction

The UN WPP-based series shows continued growth through 2050, from 30.6 million in 2026 to 51.1 million in the medium-variant projection.

Age structure

The 2025 age table is youth-heavy: 41.1% are aged 0-14, while 2.8% are aged 65+.

Age-sex balance

The 2023 broad age-sex table shows a male-skewed youth group, near balance at working ages, and a female-heavy older-age group.

Fertility pattern

The 2026 fertility value is 4.12 births per woman, above the 2.1 replacement-level benchmark.

Urban profile

The UN-based country table places the urban share at 59.85% in 2026, while World Bank WDI gives a 2024 urban share of 55.403% under its series.

Source caution

Cameroon’s last completed population census count is from 2005; current national totals rely mainly on modelled estimates and projections until new census results are released.

Data Sources and Methodology

Population values on this page use source-specific definitions. UN WPP values are mid-year estimates or medium-variant projections. World Bank WDI values use the Bank’s published indicator definitions. Census values are administrative enumeration results and are not directly interchangeable with UN modelled mid-year series.

SourceYear or releaseUsed for
UN DESA Population Division, World Population Prospects 20242024 revision; estimates 1950-2023 and projections 2024-2100Population history, growth, fertility, median age, migration, density, projection scenario, and population comparison values where the Worldometer table reproduces WPP-based figures
UNFPA World Population Dashboard2025 dashboard values based on UN WPP 2024Rounded 2025 population value, broad age percentage definitions and indicator definitions
World Bank WDI, reproduced by CEIC2023 and 2024 visible WDI rowsMale/female population, broad age-sex counts, World Bank urban series, dependency ratio and data-definition cross-checks
Worldometer country and demographics tables2026 country table; UN WPP 2024 medium variant noted by sourceLong population table fields, forecast table, global rank, world share, density, urban table and largest urban area table where no stronger same-format table was visible
Cameroon 3rd General Population and Housing Census / BUCREP reference2005 census; published referencesLast completed census count and census-method caution

Indicator Definitions

IndicatorDefinitionUnitSource note
PopulationEstimated size of the national population at mid-year.PersonsUN WPP uses estimates and projections; census counts are separate observations.
Yearly changeChange in population over the year in the displayed modelled series.PersonsDisplayed as reported in the WPP-based table.
Net migrationNet balance of immigration and emigration in the population model.PersonsSeparate immigration and emigration counts are not available in the current table.
Fertility rateAverage number of children a woman would have under prevailing age-specific fertility rates.Births per womanUNFPA uses the UN WPP definition for total fertility rate.
Life expectancy at birthNumber of years a newborn would live if exposed to the age-specific mortality risks of the period.YearsReported separately for both sexes, males and females when available.
Urban populationPeople living in areas classified as urban by source definitions.Persons or percentWorld Bank WDI urban values use national definitions and UN urban series methods.
Sex ratioNumber of males per 100 females.Males per 100 femalesBroad age-group sex ratios in this page are calculated from listed male and female counts.
ProjectionScenario-based future population estimate.PersonsProjection values are not observed values.
Method note
  • Rounded display values preserve readability; table sorting uses unformatted numeric values where possible.
  • Where a sex ratio or share is calculated from visible counts, the source row says so.
  • Projection values are kept in a separate projection section and are not blended into the historical chart as observed values.
  • Worldometer is used for WPP-based structured rows and urban-area listings where the primary UN source does not expose the same table fields in the retrieved text.

Methodological Safety Note

Methodological Safety Note: Cameroon demographic values can differ by source because resident population, mid-year population, census enumeration, model estimate and projection are separate measures. The last completed census count is from 2005, while many current values are UN or World Bank modelled estimates. WPP 2024 treats 2024-2100 as projection years. Urban population depends on source definitions. Net migration is not the same as immigration or emigration. Fertility rate is not a birth count. Male/female counts, shares and sex ratios should be compared within the same year and source table whenever possible. Missing values are not estimated here.

Demographic Data Notes

What is Cameroon’s population in the latest WPP-based table?

The 2026 mid-year population is listed as 30,640,817 in the UN WPP 2024 medium-variant table reproduced by Worldometer. Because 2026 is beyond the WPP 2024 estimate period, it is a projection value.

Why does the 2005 census value differ from the WPP 2005 value?

The 2005 census count is an enumeration result, while the WPP table is a modelled mid-year population series. They are related demographic measures but not the same measurement type.

Is Cameroon’s fertility below replacement level?

No. The 2026 WPP-based fertility value shown here is 4.12 births per woman, above the broad 2.1 replacement-level benchmark.

Is the broad age-sex chart a population pyramid?

No. It uses three broad age groups by sex. A full population pyramid requires matching male and female counts by detailed age group, usually five-year age bands, from one source year.