Cameroon — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Cameroon, 1971–2023.
Education spending for Cameroon was 2.84% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1971 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 3.50% in 1983. The lowest was 1.70% in 2000 (about 1.7× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.16% per year.
Cameroon ranks 142 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 83%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 3.61%, so Cameroon sits below it. It peaked in 1983 and has fallen 19% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved up 7%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 29 of 41 economies; Gambia, The (2.81%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 38% in 2000.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 34th of 53 in 1971 → 30th of 50 in 1990 → 110th of 116 in 2000 → 99th of 130 in 2010 → 128th of 157 in 2020 → 78th of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.84% | +0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 2.66% | -0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 2.85% | -0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 3.1% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 3.05% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 3.03% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 3.06% | +0.5 pp |
| 2016 | 2.56% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 2.66% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 2.58% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 2.66% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 2.6% | -0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 2.65% | -0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 2.85% | -0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 2.91% | +0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 2.5% | -0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 2.88% | +0.3 pp |
| 2006 | 2.54% | -0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 2.66% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 2.8% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 2.82% | +0.5 pp |
| 2001 | 2.3% | +0.6 pp |
| 2000 | 1.7% | -1.0 pp |
| 1992 | 2.75% | -0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 3.22% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 3.29% | +0.6 pp |
| 1989 | 2.65% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 2.71% | -0.2 pp |
| 1987 | 2.93% | +0.1 pp |
| 1986 | 2.85% | -0.4 pp |
| 1984 | 3.25% | -0.3 pp |
| 1983 | 3.5% | +0.5 pp |
| 1982 | 2.98% | -0.4 pp |
| 1972 | 3.36% | +0.3 pp |
| 1971 | 3.08% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Cameroon’s Education spending in 1972?
3.36% (1972). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Cameroon’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2023 the series was shrinking overall: -7.8% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 2.84%; 2022: 2.66%; 2021: 2.85%; 2020: 3.1%; 2019: 3.05%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.