Average years of schooling among adults in Cameroon
Cameroon: Average years of schooling among adults was 6.57 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling among adults in Cameroon, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 6.57 years for average years of schooling among adults in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling among adults in Cameroon peaked at 6.57 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.14 years, in 1990.
Cameroon ranks 146th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.52 years | 2.14 years | 2.9 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.47 years | 2.98 years | 4.63 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.88 years | 5.2 years | 6.48 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.56 years | 6.54 years | 6.57 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More education data for Cameroon
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 41.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 114.4% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 121,453 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 4.26 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 109.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling among adults in Cameroon?
- Average years of schooling among adults in Cameroon was 6.57 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling among adults recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 6.57 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling among adults recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.14 years in 1990.
- How does Cameroon rank for average years of schooling among adults?
- Cameroon ranks 146th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average years of schooling among adults rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.