Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Cameroon
Cameroon: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes was 5.29 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.29 million
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
29th
of 218 countries
All-time high
5.29 million
in 2024
All-time low
923,234
in 1971
Years of data
51
1971–2024
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Cameroon, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Cameroon stood at 5.29 million. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 27.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Cameroon peaked at 5.29 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 923,234, in 1971.
That places Cameroon 29th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 923,234 | — |
| 1972 | 930,131 | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 967,561 | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 1.01 million | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 1.07 million | +5.9% |
| 1976 | 1.12 million | +4.6% |
| 1977 | 1.15 million | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 1.20 million | +4.9% |
| 1979 | 1.25 million | +4.3% |
| 1980 | 1.30 million | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 1.38 million | +5.9% |
| 1982 | 1.44 million | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 1.54 million | +6.4% |
| 1984 | 1.56 million | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 1.63 million | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 1.71 million | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 1.80 million | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 1.88 million | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 1.88 million | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 1.95 million | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 1.96 million | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 1.92 million | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 1.89 million | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 1.90 million | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 1.79 million | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 1.92 million | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 2.02 million | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 2.13 million | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 2.24 million | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 2.69 million | +20.2% |
| 2002 | 2.74 million | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 2.80 million | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 2.98 million | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 2.98 million | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 3.00 million | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 3.12 million | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 3.20 million | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 3.35 million | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 3.51 million | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 3.59 million | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 3.85 million | +7.3% |
| 2014 | 4.14 million | +7.6% |
| 2015 | 4.37 million | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 4.48 million | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 4.37 million | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 4.20 million | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 4.40 million | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 4.73 million | +7.5% |
| 2022 | 4.94 million | +4.5% |
| 2023 | 5.16 million | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 5.29 million | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.07 million | 923,234 | 1.25 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.61 million | 1.30 million | 1.88 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.94 million | 1.79 million | 2.13 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.91 million | 2.24 million | 3.35 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.10 million | 3.51 million | 4.48 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.03 million | 4.73 million | 5.29 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More education data for Cameroon
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 121,453 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 4 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 41.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 114.41 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 114.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Cameroon?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Cameroon was 5.29 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 5.29 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 923,234 in 1971.
- How does Cameroon rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Cameroon ranks 29th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release