School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years) (life) in Cameroon
Cameroon: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years) (life) was 9.6 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
9.6 years
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
173rd
of 208 countries
All-time high
10.78 years
in 2016
All-time low
5.19 years
in 1971
Years of data
43
1971–2023
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Cameroon, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Cameroon stood at 9.6 years.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Cameroon peaked at 10.78 years in 2016 and was at its lowest, 5.19 years, in 1971.
That places Cameroon 173rd out of 208 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years) (life) in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5.19 years | — |
| 1972 | 5.24 years | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 5.33 years | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 5.68 years | +6.5% |
| 1975 | 5.72 years | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 5.89 years | +3.0% |
| 1977 | 5.93 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 6.08 years | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 6.21 years | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 6.29 years | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 6.24 years | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 6.32 years | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 6.56 years | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 6.55 years | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 6.7 years | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 6.79 years | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 7.03 years | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 7.36 years | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 7 years | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 7.25 years | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 7.25 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 7 years | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 6.29 years | -10.1% |
| 1997 | 6.05 years | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 6.03 years | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 6.37 years | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 7.89 years | +23.9% |
| 2002 | 7.32 years | -7.2% |
| 2003 | 7.72 years | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 7.72 years | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 7.57 years | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 7.26 years | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 7.97 years | +9.8% |
| 2008 | 8.37 years | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 8.81 years | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 9.47 years | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 9.94 years | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 10.37 years | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 10.63 years | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 10.78 years | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 9.32 years | -13.5% |
| 2022 | 9.53 years | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 9.6 years | +0.7% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 9.6 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.64 years, 90% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 9.6 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.72 years, 99% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.7 years | 5.19 years | 6.21 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 6.68 years | 6.24 years | 7.36 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.61 years | 6.03 years | 7.25 years | 7 |
| 2000s | 7.85 years | 7.26 years | 8.81 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 10.24 years | 9.47 years | 10.78 years | 5 |
| 2020s | 9.48 years | 9.32 years | 9.6 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 170 Ukraine 9.76 years compare
- 171 British Virgin Islands 9.73 years compare
- 172 Madagascar 9.72 years compare
- 174 Mozambique 9.58 years compare
- 175 Democratic Republic of Congo 9.56 years compare
- 176 El Salvador 9.53 years 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 school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Cameroon?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Cameroon was 9.6 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 10.78 years in 2016.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.19 years in 1971.
- How does Cameroon rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female?
- Cameroon ranks 173rd out of 208 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release