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 31.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
31.8%
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
19th
of 171 countries
All-time high
59.8%
in 1971
All-time low
27.2%
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
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon is 31.8%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Cameroon peaked at 59.8% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 27.2%, in 2015.
Cameroon ranks 19th 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 | 59.8% | — |
| 1972 | 59.0% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 30.4% | -48.5% |
| 2014 | 28.3% | -7.1% |
| 2015 | 27.2% | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 32.6% | +19.6% |
| 2022 | 31.6% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 31.8% | +0.9% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 31.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.1%, 1.8× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 31.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 23.5%, 1.4× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 59.4% | 59.0% | 59.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 28.6% | 27.2% | 30.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 32.0% | 31.6% | 32.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 16 Tanzania, United Republic of 33.2% compare
- 17 Iraq 32.8% compare
- 18 Lao People's Democratic Republic 32.5% compare
- 20 Solomon Islands 30.6% compare
- 21 Lebanon 30.5% compare
- 22 Mauritania 29.6% 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 31.8% 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 59.8% in 1971.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.2% in 2015.
- How does Cameroon rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Cameroon ranks 19th 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 4.6%. 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, female (%). 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