Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Mauritania
Mauritania: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 23.1% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Mauritania, 1985–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Mauritania recorded 23.1% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.5% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Mauritania peaked at 68.5% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 19.7%, in 2018.
Mauritania ranks 20th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 68.5% | — |
| 1994 | 53.5% | -21.9% |
| 1995 | 47.2% | -11.8% |
| 1996 | 43.8% | -7.2% |
| 1998 | 40.1% | -8.4% |
| 1999 | 40.5% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 39.9% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 36.2% | -9.4% |
| 2002 | 36.4% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 33.0% | -9.3% |
| 2004 | 25.8% | -21.9% |
| 2005 | 27.1% | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 24.4% | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 23.5% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 27.0% | +15.0% |
| 2009 | 27.7% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 27.3% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 26.7% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 28.0% | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 25.2% | -9.9% |
| 2014 | 23.1% | -8.5% |
| 2016 | 26.5% | +15.0% |
| 2017 | 21.7% | -18.2% |
| 2018 | 19.7% | -9.2% |
| 2019 | 23.1% | +17.5% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 23.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.0%, 3.8× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 23.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.4%, 1.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 68.5% | 68.5% | 68.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 45.0% | 40.1% | 53.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 30.1% | 23.5% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.6% | 19.7% | 28.0% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 17 Marshall Islands 25.9% compare
- 18 Senegal 25.7% compare
- 19 Bahamas 23.5% compare
- 21 Puerto Rico 22.1% compare
- 22 Guinea 21.9% compare
- 23 Burkina Faso 21.9% compare
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 out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Mauritania?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Mauritania was 23.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 68.5% in 1985.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.7% in 2018.
- How does Mauritania rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Mauritania ranks 20th out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The number of students of the official age for primary education is subtracted from the total population of the same age. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/