Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon
Cameroon: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 16.0% in 2018. ▬ Flat
Latest (2018)
16.0%
World rank
10th
of 47 countries
All-time high
16.2%
in 2004
All-time low
15.0%
in 2011
Years of data
5
2004–2018
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon, 2004–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon is 16.0%, measured in 2018.
The figure is down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon peaked at 16.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 2011.
Cameroon ranks 10th of 47 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 16.2% | — |
| 2006 | 16.2% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 15.0% | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 15.4% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 16.0% | +4.2% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 16.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.2%, 2.6× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 16.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5%, 1.1× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 15.0% | 16.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 7 Benin 24.5% compare
- 8 Cambodia 22.1% compare
- 9 Tanzania, United Republic of 16.1% compare
- 11 Zambia 15.8% compare
- 12 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 14.5% compare
- 13 Sierra Leone 9.9% 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 of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon was 16.0% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 16.2% in 2004.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 2011.
- How does Cameroon rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Cameroon ranks 10th out of 47 countries with data for 2018.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 of primary school age, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release