National Identity
- Official name
- Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- Official name (in Arabic)
- الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية
- Official name (in Arabic, Romanized)
- Al-Jumhūrīyah al-Islāmīyah al-Mūrītānīyah
- Name etymology
named for the ancient kingdom of Mauretania (3rd century B.C. to 1st century A.D.); its name derives from the Mauri (Moors) of northwest Africa
Sources:- The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ↗ - Office of the Prime Minister
- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- National seal
- National flag
Translated from the Prime Minister's Office of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Article One: The national emblem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a flag bearing the design of a crescent and a star of gold colour on a green background, and on its two sides a horizontal, rectangular stripe of red colour.
Article 2: The smaller dimension of the flag is equal to two thirds of the larger dimension.
The crescent and the star are located in the centre of the flag, such that the convexity of the crescent is towards the bottom, and the five-pointed star is located horizontally in relation to the tips of the crescent.
The width of each red stripe is equal to 20% of the width of the flag.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Article 5.
The national emblem is a flag bearing a crescent and a star of gold on a green background.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Constitutional Council of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Article 8 (new):
The national emblem is a flag bearing a crescent and a star of gold colour on a green background, bearing, on each side, a horizontal, rectangular stripe of red colour.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerSources:- kennach.gov.mr ↗ - the Prime Minister's Office of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- presidence.mr ↗ - the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- conseil-constitutionnel.mr ↗ - the Constitutional Council of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- National anthem
- نشيد وطني موريتاني1:27
- Title (in Arabic)
- نشيد وطني موريتاني
- Title (in English, translated)
- National Anthem of Mauritania
- Lyrics
1بلاد الأباة الهداة الكرام وحصن الكتاب الذي لا يضام أيا موريتان ربيع الوئام وركن السماحة ثغر السلام
Chorusسنحمي حماك ونحن فداك ونكسو رباك بلون الأمل وعند نداك نلبي أجل
2بدور سمائك لم تحجب وشمس جبينك لم تغرب نماك الأماجد من يعرب لإفريقيا المنبع الأعذب
سنحمي حماك ونحن فداك3رضعنا لبان الندى والإبا سجايا حملن جنى طيبا ومرعى خصيبا، وإن أجدبا سمونا، فكان لنا أرحبا
سنحمي حماك ونحن فداك4سقينا عدوك صابا ومرا فما نال نزلا ولا مستقرا
سنحمي حماك ونحن فداك5أخذناك عهدا حملناك وعدا ونهديك سعدا لجيل أطل
Final chorusسنحمي حماك ونحن فداك ونكسو رباك بلون الأمل سنحمي حماك ونحن فداك وعند نداك نلبي أجل
Source: - Citizens
- Mauritanians
- Official name:The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ↗ - Office of the Prime Minister
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- National flag:kennach.gov.mr ↗ - the Prime Minister's Office of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- National flag:presidence.mr ↗ - the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- National flag:conseil-constitutionnel.mr ↗ - the Constitutional Council of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
- Total area
- 1,030,700 km²
- Land area
- 1,030,700 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- 5,002 km(4 countries)
- Coastline
- 754 km
- Terrain
Mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills - Mean elevation
- 276 m
- Highest point
- 915 mKediet Ijill
- Lowest point
- −5 mSebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha
- Climate
Desert constantly hot, dry, dusty - Avg. temperature
- 27.6 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 21.2 to 34.1 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 68 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 25.3 18.6 12.7 2 February 28.2 21.3 14.9 2 March 31.8 24.7 17.7 1 April 35.2 28.2 21 1 May 37.9 31.1 24 1 June 40.1 33.4 26.5 2 July 40.2 33.9 27.5 9 August 39 33.2 27.5 24 September 38.1 32.1 26.3 16 October 35.7 29.4 23.3 7 November 30.7 24.2 18 1 December 26.5 20 14.2 3 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable0.4%Pasture38.1%Forest1.0%Other60.5%
- Arable land
- 450,000 hectares (0.4%)
- Permanent crops
- 10,000 hectares (0.0%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 39,250,000 hectares (38.1%)
- Forest
- 1,013,870 hectares (1.0%)
- Other land
- 62,346,130 hectares (60.5%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Drought8.6Very high#5/191Epidemics6.2High#47/191River floods6.1High#67/191Coastal floods4.4Medium#77/191Tsunamis1.1Very low#94/191Earthquakes0.4Very low#125/191Tropical cyclones0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +2.75% per year+146,254 people/yearWorld Rank16thof 237
- Birth rate
- 33.2 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 5.2 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −1.1 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 17.5 yearsWorld Rank225thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years42.0%15-64 years54.7%65 years +3.3%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 3.3%
- Share aged under 18
- 48.9%
- Total dependency ratio
- 83
- Youth dependency ratio
- 77
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 6
- Sex ratio
- 0.97 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.2% 0.2% 70-79 0.7% 0.8% 60-69 1.5% 1.7% 50-59 2.5% 2.9% 40-49 3.8% 4.3% 30-39 5.6% 6.2% 20-29 8.1% 8.5% 10-19 11.9% 11.7% 0-9 14.9% 14.5% - 2026
- 2.38 above the replacement level for Mauritania ()4.48 births per womanreplacement 2.1012345World Rank11thof 237
- 2.09 daughters per woman1.09 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.522.5
- 2026
- +28.0 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 28.0 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- −1.1 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 62.4% live in cities3,405,624 urban residents
- Largest cities2023
- Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Kiffa, ZouératRankCity or LocalityPopulation (2023 census)1Nouakchott1,446,7612Nouadhibou173,5253Kiffa71,6804Zouérat62,3805Kaédi57,6726Rosso42,6707Mbera Refugee Camp41,2568Sélibaby40,9759Guerou35,15310Aïoun El Atrouss34,838Source:
- National Agency for Statistics and Demographic and Economic Analysis, Mauritania (2023 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are desert and lack sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal.
- Ethnic groups
- Black Moors40.0%White Moors30.0%Sub-Saharan Mauritanians30.0%
Black Moors are Haratines, Arabic-speaking descendants of African origin who are or were enslaved by White Moors.Sub-Saharan Mauritanians are non-Arabic speaking, largely resident in or originating from the Senegal River Valley, including Halpulaar, Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and Bambara ethnic groups.White Moors are of Arab-Amazigh descent, known as Beydane.
Source:- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Religions
- Muslim100.0%
Islam is the official religion.
Source:- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Languages
- Arabic (العربية)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:National Agency for Statistics and Demographic and Economic Analysis, Mauritania (2023 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Islamic RepublicThe Constitution calls the state a "République Islamique" (Islamic Republic), and its preamble names the precepts of Islam as the sole source of law; the President is elected by direct universal suffrage for five years (Arts. 1, 26).Source:
- System of government
- Semi-presidentialThe President appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister; the Government answers both to the President and to the National Assembly, which can force its resignation by censure, and the President may dissolve the Assembly after consultation (Arts. 30, 74, 75, 31).Source:
- Constitution de la République Islamique de Mauritanie, texte consolidé ↗, Arts. 30, 74, 75, 31
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Government (in Arabic)
- President (in Arabic)
- Capital
- Nouakchott1.4 million people(2023)
- National holidays
- 10 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- SatMar 21Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- FriMay 1Labor Day
- MonMay 25Africa Day
- WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- ThuMay 28Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- TueJun 16Islamic New Year (estimated)
- TueAug 25Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
- SatNov 28Independence Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- GMTGreenwich Mean TimeUTC+0
- Currency
- Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRU)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information (in Arabic)
- Calling code
- +222
- Internet TLD
- .mr
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- MR, MRT
- Infrastructure
- Railways728 km
- Passengers carried
- 386,621 by the country's airlines(2019)
- Heliports
- 3
- Aircraft departures
- 5,566 by the country's airlines(2019)
- Air freight
- 0 million tonne-km(2019)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- 5T
Sources:- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- Mauritania AirlinesState-owned
- 2025
- 30 / 100World Rank130thof 182Confidence interval
Corruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 31 25 36 2013 30 23 37 2014 30 23 37 2015 31 23 39 2016 27 21 33 2017 28 24 32 2018 27 22 32 2019 28 23.5 32.5 2020 29 26.4 31.6 2021 28 25 31 2022 30 27.2 32.8 2023 30 27.3 32.7 2024 30 26.2 33.8 2025 30 26.1 33.9 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Constitution de la République Islamique de Mauritanie, texte consolidé ↗ - General Secretariat of the Government of Mauritania (Direction Générale de la Législation, de la Traduction et de l'Edition du Journal Officiel)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Lower middle income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +4.4% per yearWorld Rank52ndof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $3,015 (150th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services42.4% of GDPIndustry29.7% of GDPAgriculture20% of GDPManufacturing4.6%part of industry
- Households
- +54%
- Government
- +16%
- Investment
- +44.3%
- Exports
- +39.9%
- Imports
- −54.2%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 8%up 6.4 percentage points6.4pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 1.2 million (23% of population)World Rank141stof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 40.9% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 10.3%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 23.0% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $15 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 0% of GDP
- Current account
- 7.8% of GDP, $1.1 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt44.9% of GDP
- Trade2024
- Goods$3.8 billion94.3%
- Services$229.6 million5.7%
- Total exports
- $4.1 billion
- Change from 2023
- up 2.5 percent on the previous year2.5%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- 2024
- −1.27World Rank128thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +3% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Meat of camels (fresh or chilled), Raw milk of sheep, Raw milk of camel, and 7 more
- 1Meat of camels (fresh or chilled)410.6×
- 2Raw milk of sheep76.4×
- 3Raw milk of camel60.4×
- 4Raw milk of goats49×
- 5Meat of sheep (fresh or chilled)37.3×
- 6Meat of goat (fresh or chilled)23.1×
- 7Dates21.1×
- 8Sorghum16.7×
- 9Rice5×
- 10Beans (dry)4.3×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)
gypsum deposits have never been exploited
Source:- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- 2022
- MRU 3,000 per month, gross$81 (USD), $244 (PPP)
- Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.563MediumWorld Rank163rdof 193MauritaniaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Mauritania World 1990 0.396 0.608 1991 0.401 0.611 1992 0.409 0.614 1993 0.421 0.617 1994 0.432 0.620 1995 0.439 0.625 1996 0.448 0.631 1997 0.450 0.636 1998 0.460 0.641 1999 0.467 0.646 2000 0.468 0.651 2001 0.470 0.657 2002 0.475 0.662 2003 0.482 0.669 2004 0.494 0.675 2005 0.500 0.681 2006 0.512 0.688 2007 0.512 0.694 2008 0.512 0.698 2009 0.522 0.701 2010 0.525 0.707 2011 0.530 0.713 2012 0.538 0.717 2013 0.544 0.721 2014 0.547 0.726 2015 0.551 0.731 2016 0.548 0.735 2017 0.551 0.739 2018 0.561 0.741 2019 0.566 0.745 2020 0.554 0.742 2021 0.553 0.742 2022 0.562 0.752 2023 0.563 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2019
- 32
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 4.9 years
- Expected for a child today
- 7.9 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2020
- 59.5% of adults
- Education expenditure2024
- 7.6% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 31.9%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 45.8% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 58.7%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 4.8 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 15,997
- Fixed broadband
- 0.9 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2022
- 3% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 8%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 23%
- Mobile-money account
- 10%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 20%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 170,357 people
- Asylum seekers
- 6,574
- Internally displaced persons
- 23,000(2022)All due to disasters
- Refugees from Mauritania abroad
- 38,333
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 2 sites1 cultural1 natural
Site Type Ancient Ksour (Fortified Villages) of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt, and Oualata Cultural Banc d'Arguin National Park Natural Source:- The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- High6.1 out of 10Drought and drier conditions, Floods, International displacement
Crisis Since Sep 2024 Severity Country overallAll crises below combined 6.1High Displacement from Mali to MauritaniaInternational displacement 5.2Medium Climatic shocks in MauritaniaDrought and drier conditions, Floods 5.2Medium Data reliability as rated by INFORM: High. Last updated Aug 31, 2026.
Source:- INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate2020
- Very low by global standards1 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank78thof 115
- Crime rates
- 1 offence category
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 1.0 46 2020 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2022
- 58 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 2,826
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 69.2 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 4.3% of GDP$92 per person
- Physicians2022
- 0.26 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2006latest available
- 0.4 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 27.5 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 381 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 0 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2020
- 11% of adults
- Men
- 19.1%
- Women
- 2.9%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 25.6 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 5.01 Mt per yearup 3.8 percent on the previous year3.8% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 0.9 t per personWorld Rank153rdof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 9.3 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 2.37 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.82 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 17.5 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 7.6 µg/m³ of PM2.50.3 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted159thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- desertification caused in part by overgrazing, deforestation, and drought-aggravated soil erosion
- limited natural freshwater resources
- locust infestation
- International agreements
- 20 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 72 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2017 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1994 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1994 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1994 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1996 CITES in force 1998 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 1998 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2005 Nagoya Protocol in force 2015 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1983 World Heritage Convention in force 1981 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1996 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1996 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2005 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2005 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 1996 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) in force 2026 MARPOL 73/78 in force 1998 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 42.1% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 11 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 2,338 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 96% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 1.4 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 91%
- Water stress
- 13% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 8.3% of the population400,000 people
- Obesity2024
- 24.1% of adults
- Men
- 9%
- Women
- 37.4%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2022
- 22.4% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 13.7 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.01%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 2.4% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Imports only, 0.3 TWh imported, nothing exported in 20242.1 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 2.1 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 2.1 TWh per year
- Imports
- 0.3 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Production endedlast produced in 2016Oil reserves202520 million barrelsWorld Rank81stof 99Consumption202430,550 b/dExports20184,836 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 2.2% of GDP$260.1 million, 9.6% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- estimated 17,000active Mauritanian Armed Forces; estimated 3,000 Gendarmerie
- Military service2025
- Voluntaryhas a compulsory two-year military service law, but the law has reportedly never been applied; ages 18+
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Mauritania - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
