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Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Cameroon

Cameroon: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 2.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
2.8%
Change on year
up 6.8%
World rank
158th
of 199 countries
All-time high
3.5%
in 1983
All-time low
1.7%
in 2000
Years of data
35
1971–2023

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Cameroon, 1971–2023

01231971199720231971: 3.1 % of GDP1972: 3.4 % of GDP1982: 3 % of GDP1983: 3.5 % of GDP1984: 3.2 % of GDP1986: 2.8 % of GDP1987: 2.9 % of GDP1988: 2.7 % of GDP1989: 2.6 % of GDP1990: 3.3 % of GDP1991: 3.2 % of GDP1992: 2.8 % of GDP2000: 1.7 % of GDP2001: 2.3 % of GDP2003: 2.8 % of GDP2004: 2.8 % of GDP2005: 2.7 % of GDP2006: 2.5 % of GDP2007: 2.9 % of GDP2008: 2.5 % of GDP2009: 2.9 % of GDP2010: 2.8 % of GDP2011: 2.7 % of GDP2012: 2.6 % of GDP2013: 2.7 % of GDP2014: 2.6 % of GDP2015: 2.7 % of GDP2016: 2.6 % of GDP2017: 3.1 % of GDP2018: 3 % of GDP2019: 3 % of GDP2020: 3.1 % of GDP2021: 2.8 % of GDP2022: 2.7 % of GDP2023: 2.8 % of GDP

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Cameroon is 2.8%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Cameroon peaked at 3.5% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2000.

Cameroon ranks 158th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.2% 3.1% 3.4% 2
1980s 3.0% 2.6% 3.5% 7
1990s 3.1% 2.8% 3.3% 3
2000s 2.6% 1.7% 2.9% 9
2010s 2.8% 2.6% 3.1% 10
2020s 2.9% 2.7% 3.1% 4

Countries ranked near Cameroon

  1. 155 Nicaragua 2.9% compare
  2. 156 Suriname 2.9% compare
  3. 157 Democratic Republic of Congo 2.8% compare
  4. 159 Iran 2.8% compare
  5. 160 Gambia 2.8% compare
  6. 161 Malawi 2.7% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Cameroon

All data for Cameroon →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Cameroon?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Cameroon was 2.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Cameroon?
The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 1983.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Cameroon?
The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2000.
How does Cameroon rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Cameroon ranks 158th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Cameroon?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Cameroon data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 5,140 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.