Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mauritania

Mauritania: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 7.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
7.6%
Change on year
up 61.4%
World rank
11th
of 199 countries
All-time high
7.6%
in 2024
All-time low
1.4%
in 2022
Years of data
19
1997–2024

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mauritania, 1997–2024

24681997201020241997: 1.6 % of GDP1999: 1.7 % of GDP2001: 2.1 % of GDP2002: 2.3 % of GDP2003: 2.4 % of GDP2004: 2 % of GDP2006: 2 % of GDP2011: 2.3 % of GDP2012: 2.2 % of GDP2013: 2.3 % of GDP2014: 2.6 % of GDP2015: 2.8 % of GDP2016: 1.9 % of GDP2019: 1.8 % of GDP2020: 1.8 % of GDP2021: 1.9 % of GDP2022: 1.4 % of GDP2023: 4.7 % of GDP2024: 7.6 % of GDP

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Mauritania recorded 7.6% for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in 2024. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

The figure is up 61.4% on the previous year and up 197.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mauritania peaked at 7.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2022.

That places Mauritania 11th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.7% 1.6% 1.7% 2
2000s 2.1% 2.0% 2.4% 5
2010s 2.3% 1.8% 2.8% 7
2020s 3.5% 1.4% 7.6% 5

Countries ranked near Mauritania

  1. 8 Botswana 8.1% compare
  2. 9 Marshall Islands 7.7% compare
  3. 10 Vanuatu 7.6% compare
  4. 12 Bolivia 7.5% compare
  5. 13 Sweden 7.3% compare
  6. 14 Iceland 7.3% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Mauritania

All data for Mauritania →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mauritania?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mauritania was 7.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Mauritania?
The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2024.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Mauritania?
The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2022.
How does Mauritania rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Mauritania ranks 11th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Mauritania?
Over the last ten years it is up 197.5%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 5,140 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.