What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Cameroon?

The highest recorded value was 92.5% in 1950.

What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Cameroon?

The lowest recorded value was 27.4% in 2018.

How does Cameroon rank for literate and illiterate world population?

Cameroon ranks 29th out of 128 countries with data for 2018.

Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Cameroon?

Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Cameroon data come from?

The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Literate and illiterate world population in Cameroon

Name: Literate and illiterate world population in Cameroon
Creator: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Cameroon: Literate and illiterate world population was 27.4% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

27.4%

World rank

29th

of 128 countries

All-time high

92.5%

in 1950

All-time low

27.4%

in 2018

Years of data

1950–2018

Literate and illiterate world population in Cameroon, 1950–2018

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literate and illiterate world population in Cameroon is 27.4%, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.

The figure is down 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Cameroon peaked at 92.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 27.4%, in 2018.

That places Cameroon 29th out of 128 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	92.5%	92.5%	92.5%	1
1970s	58.8%	58.8%	58.8%	1
2000s	30.5%	29.3%	31.6%	2
2010s	28.1%	27.4%	28.8%	2

Countries ranked near Cameroon

26 Burundi 28.7% compare
27 Zambia 28.2% compare
28 Cambodia 28.1% compare
30 Togo 27.4% compare
31 Madagascar 25.3% compare
32 Algeria 24.9% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Cameroon

Population growth rate 2.6% (2023)

All data for Cameroon →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Cameroon?: Literate and illiterate world population in Cameroon was 27.4% in 2018, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Cameroon?: The highest recorded value was 92.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Cameroon?: The lowest recorded value was 27.4% in 2018.
How does Cameroon rank for literate and illiterate world population?: Cameroon ranks 29th out of 128 countries with data for 2018.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Cameroon?: Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Cameroon data come from?: The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Literate and illiterate world population
Unit: %
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.