Mauritania

Sub-Saharan Africa·Lower middle income

Population: 5.02M; 126th of 217
GDP: $10.8B; 155th of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $2,083; 175th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 68.5; 163rd of 217
Human development: 0.556; 156th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Mauritania

Angola

Kenya

Ghana

Comoros

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

lower middle-income West African economy; primarily agrarian; rising urbanization; poor property rights; systemic corruption; endemic social and workforce tensions; wide-scale terrorism; foreign over-fishing; environmentally fragile

Area: 1,030,700 km²
Resources: iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
Borders: Algeria; Mali 2,236 km; Morocco 1,564 km; Senegal

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Muslim99.2%

Religious diversity: 0.189 / 10 · very low · 184th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

MRT

AGO

KEN

GHA

GDP

current US$

$10.8B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$848M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

83.8%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

18.6%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

30.6%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

0.404–––

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

–––

Population

people

5.02M–––

Population density

people per km²

4.7–––

Urban population

% of total

57.7%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

4.7–––

Net migration

people

-2,185–––

Population under 15

% of total

42.7%–––

Population 65+

% of total

3.2%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

4.5%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

2.6%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

4,142.5–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

336.4–––

Electricity generation

TWh

1.6–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

0.189–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

0.1%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

2.5%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#155/214

$10.8B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#175/214

$2,0832024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#152/203

$6,946latest

GDP growth

annual %

#35/214

5.2%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#165/207

$2,0902024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#123/213

4.3%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#95/201

$848M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#43/205

83.8%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#37/206

18.6%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#54/208

30.6%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#148/187

10.4%latest

Gini index

0–100

#46/168

32latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#113/168

10.2%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#129/165

$3,6802022

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#126/144

1.852023

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

#106/139

0.4042023

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

#58/119

0.6342023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#126/217

5.02Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#206/216

4.7latest

Urban population

% of total

#128/215

57.7%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#163/217

68.5latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#11/217

4.7latest

Net migration

people

#124/217

-2,1852024

Population under 15

% of total

#12/217

42.7%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#185/217

3.2%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#152/196

31latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#146/196

37.8latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#141/192

4.5%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#156/195

0.2latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#137/160

67%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#164/199

2.6%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#177/194

6%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#174/210

37.4%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#162/214

90.82023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#174/208

0.62023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#182/215

52.22024

Access to electricity

% of population

#199/215

50.3%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#144/198

4,142.52023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#165/202

336.42022

Electricity generation

TWh

#146/202

1.62022

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#105/202

27.4%2022

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#115/202

72.6%2022

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#69/204

5.22024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#54/204

12024

Share of global CO₂

#136/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#68/193

3.52023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#24/210

0.1%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#54/210

0.4%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#57/210

0.2%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#33/210

0.2%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#58/210

0.5162024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#110/175

0.3282025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#127/175

0.1272025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#119/175

0.5132025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#149/175

0.8252025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#133/175

0.2532025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#129/178

302022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#144/193

-0.7992022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#140/193

-0.7012022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#139/193

-0.6592022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#136/193

-0.5072022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#144/175

0.5412025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#7/126

02025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#7/126

02025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#10/126

02025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#184/193

0.1892020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#159/193

0.1%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#156/189

0.5562021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#161/170

0.6322021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#128/164

4.472025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#111/158

2.232023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#43/161

2.5%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.