Mauritania's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) was 31.89% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 19.98 percentage points from 11.91% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 31.89% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 10.23% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 11.91% | 2014 |
| Highest | 31.89% | 2024 |
| Lowest | 0% | 1997 |
| Average since 2015 | 13.36% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 0% | 1997 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Mauritania's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 13 percentage points on 2023 (from 18.89% to 31.89%).
Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was +1.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.21 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 14.05 percentage points in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.26 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 23% of the movement over 8 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, Mauritania had the 1st highest value of the 41 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Mauritania | 31.89% | 2024 |
| World | 13.96% | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 15.38% | 2024 |
| Lower middle income | 13.62% | 2024 |
Closest to Mauritania in the 2024 ranking
- Solomon Islands — 2nd of 41: 25.23%
- Morocco — 3rd of 41: 23.28%
- Uzbekistan — 4th of 41: 22.07%
What this measures
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.
Limitations: Data on government expenditure on education may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries). In addition, definitions and methods of data on total general government expenditure may differ across countries.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.
All 19 values
| Year | Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 31.89 |
| 2023 | 18.89 |
| 2022 | 4.84 |
| 2021 | 9.1 |
| 2020 | 9.73 |
| 2019 | 10.23 |
| 2018 | no data |
| 2017 | no data |
| 2016 | 9.33 |
| 2015 | 12.84 |
| 2014 |
Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in nearby economies
- Angola — 6.52% (2025)
- Benin — 18.02% (2025)
- Botswana — 21.47% (2020)
- Burkina Faso — 20.3% (2023)
- Burundi — 10.29% (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 13.41% (2024)
- Cameroon — 13.83% (2024)
- Central African Republic — 9.99% (2023)
More education data for Mauritania
- Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils — 891,821 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 105.44% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers — 24,560 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 106.94% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 103.97% (2024)
- Secondary education, general pupils
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Mauritania's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?
- 31.89% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1997?
- It is up 31.89 percentage points from 0% in 1997. The highest value was 31.89% in 2024 and the lowest 0% in 1997.
- How does Mauritania rank?
- 1st highest of 41 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Mauritania?
- In 2024, Mauritania's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 13 percentage points on 2023 (from 18.89% to 31.89%). Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was +1.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.21 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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