School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Cameroon
Cameroon: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) was 10.95 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
10.95 years
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
145th
of 186 countries
All-time high
12.37 years
in 2015
All-time low
6.32 years
in 1972
Years of data
36
1971–2023
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Cameroon, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 10.95 years for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Cameroon peaked at 12.37 years in 2015 and was at its lowest, 6.32 years, in 1972.
That places Cameroon 145th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 6.37 years | — |
| 1972 | 6.32 years | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 6.4 years | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 6.76 years | +5.6% |
| 1975 | 6.81 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 7.23 years | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 7.3 years | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 7.23 years | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 7.28 years | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 7.56 years | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 7.55 years | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 7.71 years | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 8.03 years | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 8.4 years | +4.6% |
| 1989 | 7.97 years | -5.1% |
| 1990 | 8.25 years | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 8.22 years | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 7.3 years | -11.2% |
| 2000 | 7.54 years | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 8.85 years | +17.3% |
| 2002 | 8.58 years | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 8.73 years | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 8.78 years | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 8.73 years | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 8.47 years | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 9.25 years | +9.2% |
| 2008 | 9.7 years | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 10.18 years | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 10.92 years | +7.3% |
| 2012 | 11.51 years | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 12.11 years | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 12.37 years | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 12.29 years | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 10.83 years | -11.8% |
| 2022 | 10.92 years | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 10.95 years | +0.3% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 10.95 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.12 years, 98% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 10.95 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.16 years, 1.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.65 years | 6.32 years | 7.23 years | 6 |
| 1980s | 7.67 years | 7.23 years | 8.4 years | 9 |
| 1990s | 7.93 years | 7.3 years | 8.25 years | 3 |
| 2000s | 8.88 years | 7.54 years | 10.18 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.84 years | 10.92 years | 12.37 years | 5 |
| 2020s | 10.9 years | 10.83 years | 10.95 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 142 Bangladesh 11.12 years compare
- 143 Lesotho 11.03 years compare
- 144 El Salvador 10.98 years compare
- 146 Cambodia 10.93 years compare
- 147 Tajikistan 10.91 years compare
- 148 Suriname 10.8 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 to tertiary, both sexes in Cameroon?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Cameroon was 10.95 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 12.37 years in 2015.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.32 years in 1972.
- How does Cameroon rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Cameroon ranks 145th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. 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 to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release