Mauritania Demographics

Population of Mauritania (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Mauritania

Mauritania Population
5,461,319
see live
Yearly Change
+2.75%
Global Share
0.07%
Global Rank
123

Median Age

The median age in Mauritania is 17.5 years (2026).

Fertility in Mauritania

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
4.48
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Mauritania

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
69.2
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
71.2
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
67.1
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Mauritania


Infant Mortality
27.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
34.1
(per 1,000 live births)


Mauritania Urban Population

Currently, 62.4% of the population of Mauritania is urban (3,405,624 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Mauritania is 5 people per km² (14 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 1,030,700 km² (397,955 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Localities in Mauritania

The 30 largest of 99 cities and localities, ranked by population at the census of December 25, 2023 (by National Agency for Statistics and Demographic and Economic Analysis, Mauritania).

RankCity or LocalityPopulation
1Nouakchott1,446,761
2Nouadhibou173,525
3Kiffa71,680
4Zouérat62,380
5Kaédi57,672
6Rosso42,670
7Mbera Refugee Camp41,256
8Sélibaby40,975
9Guerouincl. Beghdad, Wedan35,153
10Aïoun El Atrouss34,838
11Néma34,738
12Atar34,025
13Tintaneincl. Elbouniya32,319
14Timbédra29,920
15Boutilimit21,353
16Magta-Lahjar20,396
17Bassiknou19,447
18Boghéincl. Tould19,151
19Adel Bagrou18,334
20Akjoujt17,220
21Tidjikja17,086
22Aleg17,019
23Lexeiba16,741
24Maghama15,303
25El Ghayra12,719
26Kobenni12,316
27Djiguenni11,772
28Fassale11,293
29Bouhdida10,944
30R'Kiz10,382
See all 99 cities and localities in Mauritania

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.