12 answers, 5 from Mauritania's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
What is the bac pass rate in Mauritania?
39.3% of candidates passed the baccalaureate in Mauritania in 2024, up from 27.7% in 2023 and 20.7% in 2022, according to ANSADE's Socio-demographic Statistics Yearbook 2025, citing the education ministry's school statistics yearbooks. The pass rate for the brevet (end of lower secondary) was 27.5% in 2024, and for the primary school certificate 61.7%.
The bac pass rate was 8.0% in 2021. Pass rates depend on the difficulty of each year's exam and on who is allowed to sit it, so changes from year to year should be read with care. The Ministry of National Education organises the national exams.
The adult literacy rate in Mauritania was 59.53% in 2020, according to the World Bank's literacy series, which uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics data for people aged 15 and over. The figure for 2015 was 65.11%. The gross primary enrolment ratio was 105.43% in 2024, according to the World Bank's primary enrolment series.
Estimates from different surveys are not always comparable, which can explain changes between years. A gross enrolment ratio above 100% means that pupils older or younger than the official age group are also enrolled. ANSADE's yearbook publishes enrolment and completion rates by wilaya and sex.
How many children in Mauritania finish primary school?
The primary (fundamental) school completion rate in Mauritania was 87.7% in 2022-23, according to ANSADE's Socio-demographic Statistics Yearbook 2025, citing the education ministry's school statistics yearbooks. It was 92.9% for girls and 82.9% for boys.
The completion rate compares the number of pupils entering the last year of primary school with the population of the official age for that year, so it can exceed 100% where many pupils are older. It was 88.1% in 2020-21. Rates vary widely by wilaya: in 2023-24 they ranged from 80.7% in Hodh Chargui to 98.9% in Hodh El Gharbi.
How many young people in Mauritania go to secondary school?
The gross enrolment ratio for secondary school (collège and lycée) in Mauritania was 44% in 2022-23, according to ANSADE's Socio-demographic Statistics Yearbook 2025. It was 49% for girls and 40% for boys, up from 41% overall in 2020-21.
The gross ratio divides all secondary pupils by the population of secondary school age, so a figure of 44% means many teenagers are not in school. Nouakchott had the highest ratio (68% in 2023-24). The World Bank's series, based on UNESCO data, gives 36.03% for 2020, using different population estimates.
How many students are there in higher education in Mauritania?
36,357 students were enrolled in higher education in Mauritania in 2023-24, up from 31,694 in 2022-23, according to ANSADE's Socio-demographic Statistics Yearbook 2025, citing the higher education ministry. 16,131 of them were women.
The number has risen from 29,055 in 2020-21. The yearbook breaks the total down by field of study and also counts Mauritanian students on government scholarships abroad. The gross tertiary enrolment ratio was 5.97% in 2020, according to UNESCO data on World Bank Open Data.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
What share of children in Mauritania go to primary school?
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts net primary school enrolment in Mauritania at 79.6% in 2018. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2005. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 90.7%, and Mauritania placed 15th highest of 19. Of 69 countries with 2018 data, 61st highest.
How many children in Mauritania go to secondary school?
36.0%: that is gross secondary school enrolment in Mauritania for 2020, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The peak was 37.6% in 2019 and the low 18.6% in 2008. It is 16th highest of 17 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 44.9%. World rank, highest first: 135th of 136.
How many people in Mauritania go to university?
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, gross tertiary enrolment in Mauritania was 6.0% in 2020. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2005. It is 16th highest of 19 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 10.4%. World rank, highest first: 124th of 128.
How many adults in Mauritania can read?
59.5%: that is the adult literacy rate in Mauritania for 2020, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. In 2000 the figure was 51.2%. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 70.7%; Mauritania is 8th highest of 8. Of 41 countries with 2020 data, 40th highest.
What share of GDP does Mauritania spend on education?
In 2024, government spending on education in Mauritania was 7.6% of GDP, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. No year since 2006 has been higher. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 4.6% of GDP, and Mauritania placed 2nd highest of 11. World rank, highest first: 4th of 36.
What is the pupil-teacher ratio in Mauritania?
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of primary pupils per teacher in Mauritania was 34 in 2018. It is the bottom of the series, which starts in 2005. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 39, and Mauritania placed 16th highest of 23. Worldwide: 20th of 85.
How many children in Mauritania complete primary school?
73.4%: that is the primary completion rate in Mauritania for 2020, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. No year since 2005 has been higher. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 73.6%; Mauritania is 12th highest of 22. Of 128 countries with 2020 data, 115th highest.