Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon
Cameroon: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 25.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
25.9%
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
31st
of 171 countries
All-time high
44.2%
in 1972
All-time low
17.9%
in 2015
Years of data
8
1971–2023
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 25.9% for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon peaked at 44.2% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 17.9%, in 2015.
Cameroon ranks 31st of 171 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 43.4% | — |
| 1972 | 44.2% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 20.0% | -54.7% |
| 2014 | 18.4% | -8.1% |
| 2015 | 17.9% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 25.4% | +41.8% |
| 2022 | 25.1% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 25.9% | +3.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 25.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.8%, 1.4× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 25.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.6%, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 43.8% | 43.4% | 44.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 18.8% | 17.9% | 20.0% | 3 |
| 2020s | 25.5% | 25.1% | 25.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 28 San Marino 28.0% compare
- 29 Kuwait 27.7% compare
- 30 El Salvador 26.5% compare
- 32 Bangladesh 25.7% compare
- 33 Côte d'Ivoire 25.2% compare
- 34 Malawi 23.3% compare
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 rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon?
- Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon was 25.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 44.2% in 1972.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.9% in 2015.
- How does Cameroon rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Cameroon ranks 31st out of 171 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.4%. 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 rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release