Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Mauritania
Mauritania: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) was 24,444 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Mauritania, 1978–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Mauritania recorded 24,444 for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in 2020. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.4% on the previous year and up 68.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Mauritania peaked at 24,444 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 477, in 1978.
That places Mauritania 144th out of 200 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 477 | — |
| 1985 | 2,821 | +491.4% |
| 1986 | 4,526 | +60.4% |
| 1987 | 5,378 | +18.8% |
| 1988 | 5,407 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 5,808 | +7.4% |
| 1990 | 5,810 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 5,339 | -8.1% |
| 1992 | 5,850 | +9.6% |
| 1993 | 7,501 | +28.2% |
| 1994 | 7,675 | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 7,775 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 8,496 | +9.3% |
| 1997 | 9,225 | +8.6% |
| 1998 | 9,240 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 10,206 | +10.5% |
| 2001 | 9,033 | -11.5% |
| 2002 | 8,173 | -9.5% |
| 2003 | 8,941 | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 9,292 | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 8,758 | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 10,157 | +16.0% |
| 2007 | 11,794 | +16.1% |
| 2008 | 12,004 | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 12,519 | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 14,536 | +16.1% |
| 2011 | 16,151 | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 17,878 | +10.7% |
| 2013 | 19,243 | +7.6% |
| 2015 | 20,800 | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 20,280 | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 19,371 | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 19,844 | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 23,417 | +18.0% |
| 2020 | 24,444 | +4.4% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 24,444 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 252,098, 10% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 24,444 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 83,195, 29% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Mauritania changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +491.4% | 477 | 2,821 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 477 | 477 | 477 | 1 |
| 1980s | 4,788 | 2,821 | 5,808 | 5 |
| 1990s | 7,712 | 5,339 | 10,206 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,075 | 8,173 | 12,519 | 9 |
| 2010s | 19,058 | 14,536 | 23,417 | 9 |
| 2020s | 24,444 | 24,444 | 24,444 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More education data for Mauritania
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9,029 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 52,338 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 258,591 (2020)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 891,821 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1725 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 891,821 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Mauritania?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Mauritania was 24,444 in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 24,444 in 2020.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 477 in 1978.
- How does Mauritania rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- Mauritania ranks 144th out of 200 countries with data for 2020.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release