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 8.3% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon, 1971–2019
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 8.3%, measured in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 27.5% on the previous year and down 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon peaked at 40.6% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2015.
Cameroon ranks 54th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 35.7% | — |
| 1972 | 36.8% | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 38.5% | +4.7% |
| 1974 | 40.6% | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 34.0% | -16.2% |
| 1976 | 32.6% | -4.3% |
| 1977 | 33.8% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 32.5% | -4.0% |
| 1979 | 31.5% | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 31.3% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 25.9% | -17.3% |
| 1990 | 26.8% | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 28.8% | +7.2% |
| 2008 | 15.3% | -46.8% |
| 2009 | 12.6% | -17.7% |
| 2011 | 10.9% | -13.7% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | -50.0% |
| 2014 | 4.8% | -12.2% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | -8.5% |
| 2016 | 5.0% | +14.0% |
| 2017 | 6.5% | +31.2% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | +27.5% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 8.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.0%, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 8.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.4%, 62% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.1% | 31.5% | 40.6% | 9 |
| 1980s | 28.6% | 25.9% | 31.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 27.8% | 26.8% | 28.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 12.6% | 15.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 4.4% | 10.9% | 7 |
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 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 8.3% in 2019, 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 40.6% in 1974.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2015.
- How does Cameroon rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Cameroon ranks 54th out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
- 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 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The number of students of the official age for primary education is subtracted from the total population of the same age. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/