Average years of schooling in Cameroon
Cameroon: Average years of schooling was 7.37 years in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
7.37 years
World rank
84th
of 111 countries
All-time high
7.37 years
in 2020
All-time low
0.01 years
in 1870
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Average years of schooling in Cameroon, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 7.37 years for average years of schooling in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
That represents a change of up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in Cameroon peaked at 7.37 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.01 years, in 1870.
That places Cameroon 84th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Average years of schooling in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.01 years | — |
| 1875 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.02 years | +100.0% |
| 1890 | 0.02 years | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.03 years | +50.0% |
| 1900 | 0.05 years | +66.7% |
| 1905 | 0.06 years | +20.0% |
| 1910 | 0.07 years | +16.7% |
| 1915 | 0.08 years | +14.3% |
| 1920 | 0.11 years | +37.5% |
| 1925 | 0.16 years | +45.5% |
| 1930 | 0.2 years | +25.0% |
| 1935 | 0.29 years | +45.0% |
| 1940 | 0.37 years | +27.6% |
| 1945 | 0.46 years | +24.3% |
| 1950 | 0.72 years | +56.5% |
| 1955 | 0.92 years | +27.8% |
| 1960 | 1.12 years | +21.7% |
| 1965 | 1.51 years | +34.8% |
| 1970 | 1.92 years | +27.2% |
| 1975 | 2.58 years | +34.4% |
| 1980 | 3.25 years | +26.0% |
| 1985 | 3.94 years | +21.2% |
| 1990 | 4.65 years | +18.0% |
| 1995 | 5.3 years | +14.0% |
| 2000 | 5.76 years | +8.7% |
| 2005 | 6.06 years | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 6.41 years | +5.8% |
| 2015 | 7.05 years | +10.0% |
| 2020 | 7.37 years | +4.5% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 7.37 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7.23 years, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 7.37 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.27 years, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.015 years | 0.01 years | 0.02 years | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.025 years | 0.02 years | 0.03 years | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.055 years | 0.05 years | 0.06 years | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.075 years | 0.07 years | 0.08 years | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.135 years | 0.11 years | 0.16 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 0.245 years | 0.2 years | 0.29 years | 2 |
| 1940s | 0.415 years | 0.37 years | 0.46 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 0.82 years | 0.72 years | 0.92 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.31 years | 1.12 years | 1.51 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 2.25 years | 1.92 years | 2.58 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 3.59 years | 3.25 years | 3.94 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.97 years | 4.65 years | 5.3 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.91 years | 5.76 years | 6.06 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 6.73 years | 6.41 years | 7.05 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 7.37 years | 7.37 years | 7.37 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More education data for Cameroon
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,092 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 611,326 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 321,494 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 322,873 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.01 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.29 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1816 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in Cameroon?
- Average years of schooling in Cameroon was 7.37 years in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 7.37 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.01 years in 1870.
- How does Cameroon rank for average years of schooling?
- Cameroon ranks 84th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average years of formal education for individuals aged 15-64.