Mauritania Economic Outlook
- The national economy should record solid growth between 2010/13.
- Acute food shortages are expected in 2012.
- In urban areas 50.8% of young men and 69% of young women have no jobs, a deeply worrying state of affairs.
The performance of the Mauritanian economy depends essentially on heavy investment in the mining sector, in particular gold-mining, public investment programmes and the good performances of manufacturing industries. In addition, the rise in world prices of basic products has necessitated the implementation of a social policy to help the poorest sectors of the community and was limited by a better allocation of resources. Nevertheless the budget deficit should continue to deteriorate because of a weak mobilisation of external resources. Furthermore 2012 threatens to be a year of acute food crisis because of drought and a real threat to the country’s livestock. In 2011 a dialogue took place that included the presidential majority and the opposition. This helped ease the tension which caused a postponement of parliamentary and municipal elections and made it possible to establish a calmer political climate, with the creation of an independent national electoral commission and liberalisation of radio and television.
Youth employment remains a cause of serious concern. Unemployment hits hardest those in urban areas and the young. In towns and cities the unemployment rate is 35% and 50.8% of young men and 69% of young women aged between 15 and 24 have no job.
In November 2011, with help from the European Union (EU) the government launched an ambitious three-year project aimed at creating a better match between training and work.
It is directed in particular at young people who have dropped out of schooling. But the problem of the employment of graduates from higher education remains comprehensive and worrying. In the Human Development Index (HDI) Mauritania dropped 37 places between 2011 and 2012.
