Mauritania
Country in Africa
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 5.3M (2025). World rank 125 of 216; in Africa, 39 of 54. Area: 1,030,700 km². World rank 30 of 249; in Africa, 11 of 59. GDP per person: $2,198 (2025). World rank 173 of 210 (1 = best); in Africa, 23 of 52. From 2015 to 2025: population 4M → 5.3M, GDP $6.2B → $11.7B, and GDP per person $1,559 → $2,198.
State
- Official name
- Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- Local name
- موريتانيا
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Region
- Africa
- Form of government
- Presidential republic
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Mohamed Ould Ghazouani
- Head of government
- Moctar Ould Djay
- Independence
- November 28, 1960
- Women in parliament
- 23.3% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 5,315,065 2025
- Area
- 1,030,700 km²
- GDP
- $11.7B 2025
- GDP per person
- $2,198 2025
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRU)
- Time zones
- UTC
- Calling code
- +222
- Emergency numbers
- 101, 117, 118
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C
- Mains voltage
- 220 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 754
- Neighbours
- Algeria, Mali, Senegal, Western Sahara
- Agricultural land
- 38.5% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Kediet ej Jill, 915 m
- Lowest point
- Sebkha de Ndrhamcha, -5 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 276
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 24
- Warmest month in the capital
- September, 29°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- January, 20°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 92 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 5.2 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +2.8% 2025
- Living in cities
- 61.5% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -5K 2025
- Born in another country
- 3.8% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 42.4% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 54.4% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 3.3% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 70.7 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 66.7 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 4.6 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 34 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 5.4 2024
Society
- Religions
- Muslim 100%
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 45.3 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 29 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 36.9 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 43.1 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 41.2 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $7,676 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +4% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Lower-middle income
- Gross national income per person
- $2,210 2025
- Inflation
- +1.6% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 31 2023
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 19.9% 2025
- Industry, share of GDP
- 29.8% 2025
- Services, share of GDP
- 42.4% 2025
- Unemployment
- 10.3% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 22.9% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 26.2% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 39.9% 2025
- Imports, share of GDP
- 54.2% 2025
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -9.6% 2024
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +5.4% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 0.9% 2024
Poverty and inequality
- Gini index (0 = full equality)
- 32 2019
- Living on under $3 a day
- 10.2% 2019
Education
- Adult literacy
- 59.5% 2020
- Primary school enrolment
- 105% 2024
- Secondary school enrolment
- 36% 2020
- Higher education enrolment
- 6% 2020
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 7.6% 2024
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 4.3% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $92 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 43.8% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.3 2022
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 1.6 2022
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 0.4 2006
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 93% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 30.2 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 36.9 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 381 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 0.1% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 5.2% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 47.2% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 9.9% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 77.3% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 58.7% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 56% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 1 2020
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 25.6 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 2.7 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 54.1 2025
- Natural hazards
- droughts and dust and sand storms
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 46.5 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 1 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 3.4 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 1% 2024
- Protected areas
- 1% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 82 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 13.3% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 45.8% 2024
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 92 2024
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 1 2024
- Internet domain
- .mr
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 52.2% 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 19.6% 2022
- Electricity from renewables
- 19.4% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 80.6% 2021
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 328,992 2023
- Airports
- 25 2025
- Railways, km
- 728 2014
Science and innovation
- Research spending, share of GDP
- 0% 2018
- Scientific articles per year
- 47 2023
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 9.4% 2024