National Identity

Official name
Republic of Mauritius
Coat of arms
National flag
National flag of Mauritius
National anthem
Motherland
0:59
Citizens
Mauritians

Geography

Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar
Explore all maps
Total area
Land borders
None
Coastline
177 km
Terrain
Small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Highest point
828 mMont Piton
Lowest point
0 mIndian Ocean
Climate
Tropicalmodified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Weather
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Land use2023
Arable37.6%Perm. crops2.0%Pasture3.5%Forest19.2%Other37.8%
Natural hazards2026
Tropical cyclones7.8Very high#13/191
Epidemics5.0High#93/191
Tsunamis4.5Medium#61/191
Drought0.7Very low#163/191

Demographics

Population change2026
−0.25% per year−3,221 people/year
World Rank192ndof 237
2026
38.3 years
World Rank83rdof 237
Age structure2026
0-14 years14.3%15-64 years71.0%65 years +14.7%
2026
1.21 births per woman
replacement 2.1
0123
World Rank219thof 237
0.89 below the replacement level for Mauritius ()
0.58 daughters per woman
replacement 1.0
00.511.5
0.42 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the last
2026
−0.5 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 0.5 more deaths than births a year
2026
−2.1 per 1,000 population
Urbanization2026
39.1% live in cities494,214 urban residents
Largest towns2022
Port-Louis, Vacoas/Phoenix, Beau-Bassin/Rose-Hill, Quatre-Bornes
Population distribution
Population density is one of the highest in the world; urban clusters are found throughout the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; the population on Rodrigues Island is fairly evenly spread, with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast.
Ethnic groups
Indo-Mauritianabout two thirds, Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-MauritianNo ethnicity question has appeared on the national census since 1972.
Religions2011
Hindu48.5%Roman Catholic26.3%Muslim17.3%Other Christian6.4%Other0.6%None0.7%Unspecified0.1%
Languages
English, French (Français)

Government & Administration

Form of state
Republic
System of government
Parliamentary
Territorial organisation
Unitary
Official websites
Capital
Port Louis117,453 people(2021)
National holidays
15 days in 2026
Time
MUTMauritius Standard TimeUTC+4
Currency
Mauritian Rupee (MUR)
Calling code
+230
Internet TLD
.mu
ISO 3166-1 codes
MU, MUS
Infrastructure
Flag carrier
Air MauritiusState-owned
2025
48 / 100
World Rank61stof 182

Economy

Upper middle income
GDP growth (real)2026
+2.7% per year
World Rank105thof 195
GDP per capita (PPP)2026
2025
Services63.9% of GDP
Industry17.7% of GDP
Agriculture4.6% of GDP
Manufacturing11.2%part of industry
Inflation2026
4.7%up 1 percentage points1pp from 2025
Labor force2024
635,276 (50% of population)
World Rank156thof 187
Labor force participation2024
58.7% of people aged 15+
Unemployment2024
5.5%
Youth unemployment2024
16.5% ages 15 to 24
Labor productivity2024
$28.9 per hour worked at PPP
Budget balance2026
4.1% of GDP deficit
Debt
Government debt202491.4% of GDP
Household debt202231.4% of GDP
Company debt202244.6% of GDP
Trade2024
2024
+0.29
World Rank64thof 145
Agricultural products2024
Sugar cane, Squash and gourds (including pumpkins), Meat of chickens (fresh or chilled)
Gold reserves2025
12.4 tonnesWorth $1.7 billion, 17% of total official reserves by value
Industries
  • food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism

Cost of Living

Cost of living index
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Monthly costs (excluding rent)
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Rent
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Buying an apartment
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Average gross salary2024
MUR 32,444 per month$699 (USD), $1,629 (PPP)
2024
MUR 15,000 per month, gross$323 (USD), $753 (PPP)

Society

2023
0.806Very high
World Rank73rdof 193
2017
36.8
Mean years of schooling2023
10.1 years
Literacy2023
94.3% of adults
Education expenditure2024
4.2% of GDP
Internet users2024
73.3% of the population
Mobile subscriptions2024
2.2 million
Credit-card ownership2024
19% of adults
Refugees hosted2025
23 people
Inbound tourists2024
1.4 million arrivals
World Rank79thof 139
Official tourism site
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
2 sites2 cultural

Crime & Safety

Travel advisory (US)
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Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
None - no active crisis
Homicide rate2024
2.7 per 100,000 people
World Rank48thof 115
Low by global standards
Crime rates
7 offence categories
Prison population2022
187 per 100,000 people

Health

Health expenditure2023
5.6% of GDP$616 per person
Physicians2022
1.44 per 1,000 population
Hospital beds2023
3.8 per 1,000 population
Infant mortality2026
11.0 per 1,000 live births
Maternal mortality2023
66 per 100,000 live births
Alcohol consumption2022
7.7 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
Tobacco use2020
18.9% of adults
Road traffic deaths2019
12.2 per 100,000 population

Environment

CO₂ emissions2024
4.41 Mt per yearup 1.9 percent on the previous year1.9% from 2023
2024
5.7 µg/m³ of PM2.50.1 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guideline
Most polluted178thof 236
Environmental issues
  • water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
  • soil erosion
  • wildlife preservation
International agreements
20 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 86 multilateral environmental agreements

Food & Water

No access to safe drinking water2022
0.1% of the population
Renewable water2022
2.8 billion m³ per year
Undernourishment2022
6.7% of the population
Obesity2024
21.1% of adults

Energy

Energy consumption2024
0.09 EJ per yearup 6.1 percent on the previous year6.1% from 2023total primary energy
Electricity2024
3.4 TWh generated per year
No electricity trade
Oil, gas & coal
Production endedlast produced in 2016
Consumption202428,460 b/d

Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.

Defense

Military expenditure2024
0.1% of GDP$23 million, 0.5% of government spending
Nuclear weapons2026
None - no nuclear arsenal

International Memberships