Education in West, Cameroon: official figures

Primary schools in the West region had 613,035 pupils and 13,188 teachers in 2021/22, 46 pupils per teacher, 5th highest of the 10 regions (Cameroon: 43).

Are primary classrooms in the West region overcrowded?

There were 48 primary pupils per classroom in the West region in 2021/22 (5th highest of the 10 regions; Cameroon: 44), and 78% of classrooms were built in permanent materials (Cameroon: 85%).

Source: Institut National de la Statistique with the education ministries (SIGE school census) · saved copy

Do girls go to secondary school in the West region?

General secondary schools in the West region taught 219,778 students in 2021/22, with 133 girls for every 100 boys, 3rd highest of the 10 regions (Cameroon: 101), and 28 students per teacher (Cameroon: 22).

Source: Institut National de la Statistique with the education ministries (SIGE school census) · saved copy

What is the literacy rate in the West region?

88.4% of women aged 15 to 49 in the West region could read in 2018, 5th highest of the 10 regions (Cameroon: 70.1%).

Source: Institut National de la Statistique (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copy

Do children in the West region go to school?

86.7% of primary-age children in the West region attended primary school in 2018, 4th highest of the 12 survey areas (Cameroon: 77.5%).

Source: Institut National de la Statistique (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copy

How West compares with other regions

Primary pupils per teacher (2021/22)

West ranks 5 of 10, highest first.

Rank	Region	Primary pupils per teacher
2	North	71
3	Adamawa	65
4	East	62
5	West	46
6	South	38
7	Centre	30
8	South-West	29

Source: Institut National de la Statistique with the education ministries (SIGE school census) · saved copy

Women aged 15-49 who can read (2018)

West ranks 5 of 10, highest first.

Rank	Region	Women aged 15-49 who can read
2	South-West	94.7%
3	Centre	91.3%
4	South	90.0%
5	West	88.4%
6	North-West	74.7%
7	East	64.7%
8	Adamawa	42.5%

Source: Institut National de la Statistique (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copy

More on West: overview · economy and jobs · health · Cameroon

Sources

Institut National de la Statistique (with ICF, The DHS Program): Enquête Démographique et de Santé du Cameroun 2018 (EDSC-V), final report: regional tables 2.1.2, 2.3.2, 2.6, 2.13, 3.3.1, 3.13, 5.2, 8.2-8.3, 9.5, 10.3, 11.1, 12.15, 14.4, 17.10.1, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2fd029d9c33…)
Institut National de la Statistique with the education ministries (SIGE school census): Annuaire statistique sectoriel 2021-2022 de l'éducation et de la formation (key figures by region: primary VI.1, general secondary IX.1), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fe339187a8b4…)

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