Compare the Worldๆ—ฅๆœฌ่ชž
โ† Back to countries
๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ท

COUNTRY PROFILE / MRT

Mauritania

Mauritania / MR

01 / BASIC INFORMATION

Mauritania in numbers.

Area1,030,700 kmยฒWorld # 28 โ†’Population5.3MWorld # 125 โ†’Population density5.2 people/kmยฒWorld # 204 โ†’Life expectancy68.7 yearsWorld # 162 โ†’GDP per capitaUS$ 2,198World # 172 โ†’

02 / ALL RANKINGS

Mauritania across 51 rankings.

Essentials

Area1,030,700 kmยฒWorld # 28 / 2023 โ†’Population5.3MWorld # 125 / 2025 โ†’Population density5.2 people/kmยฒWorld # 204 / Population 2025 ยท area 2023 โ†’Independence / founding reference year1,960World # 81 / CIA World Factbook 2025 archive โ†’

People & society

Population growth2.8%World # 18 / 2025 โ†’Total fertility rate4.6World # 11 / 2024 โ†’Birth rate34 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 13 / 2024 โ†’Death rate5.4 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 180 / 2024 โ†’Median age17.1 yearsWorld # 224 / 2023 โ†’Population aged 65+3.2%World # 184 / 2025 โ†’Population aged 0โ€“1442.4%World # 12 / 2025 โ†’Urban population61.5%World # 123 / 2025 โ†’Net migration-5KWorld # 134 / 2025 โ†’Net migration rate-0.9 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 131 / 2025 โ†’International migrant share3.8%World # 125 / 2024 โ†’

Health

Life expectancy68.7 yearsWorld # 162 / 2024 โ†’Healthy life expectancy60.4 yearsWorld # 120 / 2021 โ†’Physicians per 1,000 people0.3 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 154 / 2022 โ†’Smoking rate9.9%World # 135 / 2024 โ†’

Economy & work

GDP per capitaUS$ 2,198World # 172 / 2025 โ†’Nominal GDPUS$ 11.7BWorld # 154 / 2025 โ†’GDP per capita (PPP)US$ 7,676World # 152 / 2025 โ†’Real GDP growth4%World # 78 / 2025 โ†’Inflation1.5%World # 138 / 2025 โ†’Unemployment10.3%World # 38 / 2025 โ†’Youth unemployment22.9%World # 37 / 2025 โ†’Average annual working hoursNo dataNo rank โ†’Average sleep timeNo dataNo rank โ†’Income inequality (Gini index)32World # 116 / 2019 โ†’

Education & science

Education spending (% of GDP)7.6%World # 11 / 2024 โ†’Researchers per million peopleNo dataNo rank โ†’R&D spending (% of GDP)0%World # 142 / 2018 โ†’Patent applications per million peopleNo dataNo rank โ†’

Food & agriculture

Calorie supply per person2,909 kcal/dayWorld # 100 / 2023 โ†’Meat supply per person36.5 kg/person/yearWorld # 124 / 2023 โ†’Rice production431.7K tWorld # 53 / 2024 โ†’Wheat production2.1K tWorld # 107 / 2024 โ†’Coffee productionNo dataNo rank โ†’Coffee consumption per personNo dataNo rank โ†’

Environment & digital

Forest area0.3%World # 202 / 2023 โ†’Electricity use per personNo dataNo rank โ†’COโ‚‚ emissions per person1 tWorld # 160 / 2024 โ†’Internet use45.8%World # 165 / 2024 โ†’Mobile subscriptions92.1 per 100 peopleWorld # 156 / 2024 โ†’

Safety & politics

Homicide rate1 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 140 / 2020 โ†’Road traffic death rate25.6 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 47 / 2019 โ†’Military spending (% of GDP)2.2%World # 54 / 2024 โ†’Women in parliament23.3%World # 110 / 2025 โ†’

Travel & culture

International tourist arrivalsNo dataNo rank โ†’International tourism receiptsUS$ 6.4MWorld # 179 / 2020 โ†’World Heritage sites2 sitesWorld # 114 / 2026-07 โ†’

03 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY

Society, culture and industry.

Largest religious groupIslam100%Main languagemeyMain functional languageLeading electricity sourceOil2024Top export categoryMinerals and fuels2023Most mapped OSM sportFootball and futsal58 facilities countedWriting directionLeft to rightmeyLargest staple-food calorie sourceWheat2023Current currencyOuguiyaMRUDriving sideRight-hand trafficSide of the road used by trafficCountry-name originPeoples and ethnic groupsMoors, Mauretania