Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon
Cameroon: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 173,924 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
173,924
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
42nd
of 204 countries
All-time high
538,421
in 1991
All-time low
165,693
in 2016
Years of data
26
1971–2024
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon is 173,924, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 4.1% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon peaked at 538,421 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 165,693, in 2016.
That places Cameroon 42nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 357,607 | — |
| 1972 | 373,970 | +4.6% |
| 1973 | 399,915 | +6.9% |
| 1974 | 434,572 | +8.7% |
| 1975 | 375,354 | -13.6% |
| 1976 | 377,641 | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 410,744 | +8.8% |
| 1978 | 411,845 | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 417,655 | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 432,491 | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 451,789 | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 490,692 | +8.6% |
| 1991 | 538,421 | +9.7% |
| 2008 | 376,363 | -30.1% |
| 2009 | 303,800 | -19.3% |
| 2011 | 278,416 | -8.4% |
| 2012 | 195,511 | -29.8% |
| 2014 | 185,722 | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 177,176 | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 165,693 | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 226,734 | +36.8% |
| 2019 | 307,267 | +35.5% |
| 2021 | 189,769 | -38.2% |
| 2022 | 172,874 | -8.9% |
| 2023 | 167,116 | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 173,924 | +4.1% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 173,924 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 76,741, 2.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 173,924 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 224,299, 78% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 395,478 | 357,607 | 434,572 | 9 |
| 1980s | 442,140 | 432,491 | 451,789 | 2 |
| 1990s | 514,556 | 490,692 | 538,421 | 2 |
| 2000s | 340,082 | 303,800 | 376,363 | 2 |
| 2010s | 219,503 | 165,693 | 307,267 | 7 |
| 2020s | 175,921 | 167,116 | 189,769 | 4 |
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 out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon was 173,924 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 538,421 in 1991.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 165,693 in 2016.
- How does Cameroon rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Cameroon ranks 42nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release