N.B: Please be aware that most resources and sources are in Arabic.
Overview of the Country
Background:
- Official name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania 1
- Capital: Nouakchott 1
- Location: Northern Africa 1
- Official language: Arabic 1
- National languages: 4 1
- Population: 4,862,989 (2023) 2
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP): US$ 10.45 Billion (2023) 3
- GNI per capita, PPP (current international $): 6,930 (2023) 3
Membership of Regional Economic Communities (RECs):
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Education Policy Objectives, Governance, and Structure
Critical Sector Strategic Priorities in Education include: 1
- Access and equity
- Quality and relevance
- Governance and efficiency
Governance Structure for Education:
- The Ministry of National Education and Education System Reform prepares the government’s general policy in the field of basic and secondary education.
- The Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science, and Technology is responsible for providing and building knowledge and innovation through the development and implementation of policies on tertiary education, research, science, and technology.
Education System Structure: 1
The education system is structured across several levels for various age groups, including inclusive education for special needs and out-of-school learners.
- Early Childhood Education: includes pre-primary education for children typically aged 3 to 5.
- Primary Education: Spanning ages 6 to 11, is compulsory and consists of six years of schooling.
- Secondary Education: Divided into two cycles:
- Lower secondary: covers three years of education for students aged 12 to 14.
- Upper secondary: includes both general and vocational tracks, with a duration of three years, catering to students aged 15 to 17.
- Tertiary Education: comprises various tracks.
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Access and Participation
School age population (2023): 1
- Pre-primary: 409,245
- Primary: 771,024
- Lower secondary: 481,710
- Upper secondary: 319,399
Gross enrolment ratio (2020): 1
- Pre-primary: no data found
- Primary: 86.69 %
- Lower Secondary: 39.46 %
- Upper secondary: 30.42 %
Completion rates: 2
- Primary: 57.92% (2015)
- Lower Secondary: 41.41% (2023)
- Upper Secondary: 15.12% (2015)
Out-of-School rate (2019): 2
- Primary school age: 30.56%
- Lower secondary school age: 33.04%
- Upper secondary school age: 61.81%
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Learning Outcomes
Proportion of children and young people achieving at least a minimum proficiency level by sex: 1
Reading:
- In grades 2/3: no data found
- At the end of primary: no data found
- At the end of lower secondary: no data found
Mathematics:
- In grades 2/3: no data found
- At the end of primary: no data found
- At the end of lower secondary: no data found
Share of children not able to read and understand an age-appropriate text by age 10, adjusted for the out-of-school children: 2
- 95% (2022)
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Teaching
Percentage of teachers qualified according to the national standards (2022): 1
- Pre-primary: No data found
- Primary school: No data found
- Lower secondary: No data found
- Upper secondary: No data found
Percentage of teachers trained according to the national standards: 1
- Pre-primary: No data found
- Primary school: No data found
- Lower secondary: No data found
- Upper secondary: No data found
Additional Resources:
Sources:
School Facilities
School infrastructure and facilities / Electricity: 1
- Primary Education: 44.00% (2019)
- Lower Secondary Education: 52.60% (2018)
- Upper Secondary Education: 79.34% (2018)
School infrastructure and facilities / Single‐sex basic sanitation facilities: 1
- Primary Education: 27.52% (2019)
- Lower Secondary Education: 32.29 (2018)
- Upper Secondary Education: 46.13% (2018)
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and Higher Education
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months (15-64 years old): 1
- Both sexes: 11.00% (2020)
- Male: 12.18%
- Female: 9.90%
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months (15-24 years old): 1
- Both sexes: 37.61% (2019)
- Male: 41.48%
- Female: 34.15%
Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education: 1
- Both sexes: 0.23% (2019)
- Male: 0.25%
- Female: 0.20%
Share of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET): 2
- Both sexes: 44.1% (2019)
- Male: 32%
- Female: 54.8%
Number of people 15-35 years old: 3
- Total: 1,868,481 (2024)
- Employed: 574,184 people (30.7%)
- Unemployed: 84,642 people (4.5%)
- Inactive: 632,107 people (33.8%)
- Student: 577,547 people (30.9%)
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education: 4
- Both sexes: 5.95% (2020)
- Male: 7.66%
- Female: 4.34%
Number of accredited Higher Education institutions (2020): 5
- Total: 32
- Public: 23
- Private: 9
Total number of accredited Higher Education institutions: 32 4
Additional Resources:
- Annuaire Statistique de l’Enseignement supérieur - Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, And Information and Communication Technologies
- Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Sources:
- UIS SDG4 Data
- ILO
- Africa Youth Employment Clock
- UIS SDG4 Data
- Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche scientifique et de l’Innovation, Mauritanie. (2021). Annuaire statistique de l’enseignement supérieur
Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Information and Communication Technologies
Equity and Inclusion
Gender Parity Index (GPI) Gross enrolment ratio (2020) 1
- Primary: 1.07
- Lower secondary: 1.04
- Upper secondary: 1.00
Adjusted Gender Parity Index (GPIA) Gross enrolment ratio (2020): 1
- Tertiary: 0.57
Proportion of schools with adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities:
- Primary: No data found
- Lower secondary: No data found
- Upper secondary: No data found
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Education Financing
Expenditure on education: 1
- Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP: 2.29% (2022)
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure: 10.44% (2022)
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Literacy
Literacy rate by age group (2021): 1
- 15+ years: 66.96%
- 15-24 years: 76.49%
- 25-64 years: 64.17%
- 65+ years: 43.77%
Literacy rate by sex (2022): 1
- Males: 71.78%
- Females: 62.17%
Sources:
Educational Technology
Proportion of schools with access to internet for pedagogical purposes:
- Lower secondary: No data found
- Upper secondary: No data found
Proportion of secondary schools with access to computers for pedagogical purposes (2016): 1
- Lower secondary: 100%
- Upper secondary: 100%
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Education in Emergencies (EiE)
Total:
- Refugees and asylum seekers: 142,383 (2024) 1
- Internally Displaced Persons due to conflict or natural disasters: 1,100 (2023) 2
Sources:
Education Policy Framework and Key Documents
Education Sector Plan:
- Gouvernement de la Mauritanie, et IIPE-UNESCO Dakar. (2024). Programme national de développement du secteur de l’éducation PNDSE III (2023-2030)
- Ministère de l'Économie, Mauritanie. (2023). Rapport de synthèse du second plan d’action de la SCAPP (Stratégie de Croissance Accélérée et de Prospérité Partagée)
- Gouvernement de la Mauritanie. Avec l’appui technique Bureau multi pays de l’UNESCO pour le Maghreb Secteur Education (2016). Stratégie nationale d’alphabétisation 2015-2024: pour une vision élargie de l’alphabétisation en Mauritanie
Related strategic documents:
- République Islamique de Mauritanie (2022). Lettre de politique du secteur de l’éducation et de la formation 2022 – 2032
- République Islamique de Mauritanie. Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique. (2022). Stratégie nationale de l'enseignement supérieur à l'horizon 2030
- Stratégie nationale de l'enseignement supérieur à l'horizon 2030
- IIPE-UNESCO Dakar. (2024). Analyse du secteur de l'éducation en Mauritanie - Résumé
National Commitment Statement:
Early Childhood Education Policy:
- Gouvernement de la Mauritanie, et IIPE-UNESCO Dakar. (2024). Programme national de développement du secteur de l’éducation PNDSE III (2023-2030)
- Ministère de l’Action sociale, de l’Enfance et de la famille
- UNICEF Mauritania Country Profile for Early Childhood Development
National Teacher’s Standards:
The National Credit and Qualifications Framework:
Higher Education Accreditation body:
- Autorité Mauritanienne d'Assurance qualité de l'enseignement supérieur
- Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche scientifique de Mauritanie, & IIPE-Pôle de Dakar. (2018). L’enseignement supérieur et la recherche en Mauritanie: éléments d’efficacité
- UNESCO Higher Education Policy Observatory Country Profile
National inclusive policy:
- Gouvernement de la Mauritanie, et IIPE-UNESCO Dakar. (2024). Programme national de développement du secteur de l’éducation PNDSE III (2023-2030)
- GEMR Inclusion Profile
Gender Policy:
- Gouvernement de la Mauritanie, et IIPE-UNESCO Dakar. (2024). Programme national de développement du secteur de l’éducation PNDSE III (2023-2030)
- Ministère des Affaires Sociales, de l'Enfance et de la Famille)
- The African Union International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (AU/CIEFFA)
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) policy:
- No data found
Youth policy:
- Gouvernement de la Mauritanie, et IIPE-UNESCO Dakar. (2024). Programme national de développement du secteur de l’éducation PNDSE III (2023-2030)
- Ministère de l'Économie, Mauritanie. (2023). Rapport de synthèse du second plan d’action de la SCAPP (Stratégie de Croissance Accélérée et de Prospérité Partagée)
- Ministère de l'Emploi, de la Formation Professionnelle, et des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication, et IIPE-Pôle de Dakar. (2018). La formation professionnelle en Mauritanie: Analyse de la mise en œuvre des réformes. UNESCO
ICT Country Profile:
Resilience plan:
Climate Change Education and Communication:
Private sector: Non-State actors in Education:
Sexuality education:
- No data found