Mauritania
MRTSub-Saharan Africa Lower middle incomeCapital: Nouakchott▶About Mauritania
Mauritania's GDP is $12.85B (2026), with a population of 5.2M, and GDP per capita of $2,717. Key indicators include real GDP growth of 4.3%, inflation at 3.5%, government debt at 40.6% of GDP, life expectancy of 68.5 years. Data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
Located in Sub-Saharan Africa, this country has a lower middle income economy with a GDP of 12.854 billion USD in 2026, reflecting a growth rate of 4.3%. The GDP per capita is 2716.621 USD, indicating moderate economic output per person. The economy is highly dependent on trade, with trade accounting for 93.5988355881472% of GDP in 2024. Inflation is projected at 3.5% in 2026, while unemployment stands at 10.319% in 2025. The capital, Nouakchott, serves as the primary hub for economic activities. The population is approximately 5,169,395 as of 2024. Life expectancy is 68.484 years as of 2023. The society faces challenges in terms of economic development and social welfare, with efforts focused on improving living standards and reducing poverty.
▶Economy29 indicators · 2021–2027 · IMF / WB
▶Fiscal & Monetary9 indicators · 2021–2027 · IMF / WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (%) | 3.8% | 2027 | ▲ 8.6% | IMF |
| Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP) | 41.0% | 2027 | ▲ 1.0% | IMF |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | -1.1% | 2027 | ▼ 10.0% | IMF |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -6.2% | 2027 | ▲ 12.7% | IMF |
| Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank) | 2.5% | 2024 | ▼ 49.7% | WB |
| Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD) | $2.04B | 2021 | ▲ 36.5% | WB |
| Total Reserves (months of imports) | 5.4 | 2021 | ▲ 16.8% | WB |
| Official Exchange Rate (per USD) | 36.49 | 2023 | ▼ 1.2% | WB |
| PPP Conversion Factor | 11.34 | 2024 | ▲ 1.4% | WB |
▶Trade15 indicators · 2024 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade (% of GDP) | 93.6% | 2024 | ▲ 1.6% | WB |
| Exports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 41.4% | 2024 | ▲ 7.8% | WB |
| Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 52.2% | 2024 | ▼ 2.9% | WB |
| Exports of Goods & Services (USD) | $4.52B | 2024 | ▲ 9.6% | WB |
| Imports of Goods & Services (USD) | $5.69B | 2024 | ▼ 1.3% | WB |
| Merchandise Exports (USD) | $4.14B | 2024 | ▲ 2.0% | WB |
| Merchandise Imports (USD) | $4.82B | 2024 | ▼ 0.1% | WB |
| FDI Inflows (% of GDP) | 13.2% | 2024 | ▲ 67.0% | WB |
| FDI Outflows (% of GDP) | 0.0% | 2024 | ▲ 2807.7% | WB |
| FDI Net Inflows (USD) | $1.44B | 2024 | ▲ 69.8% | WB |
| Personal Remittances Received (USD) | $94.5M | 2024 | ▼ 43.6% | WB |
| Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP) | 0.9% | 2024 | ▼ 44.6% | WB |
| High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured) | 9.4% | 2024 | ▲ 301.9% | WB |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -9.5% | 2024 | ▼ 5.8% | WB |
| Current Account Balance (USD) | $-1.04B | 2024 | ▼ 7.5% | WB |
▶External Debt7 indicators · 2023–2024 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| External Debt (% of GNI) | 41.8% | 2024 | ▼ 2.8% | WB |
| External Debt Stocks (USD) | $4.46B | 2024 | ▼ 2.8% | WB |
| Total Debt Service (% of GNI) | 3.8% | 2024 | ▲ 4.5% | WB |
| Present Value of External Debt (USD) | $2.81B | 2024 | — | WB |
| Use of IMF Credit (USD) | $639.1M | 2024 | ▲ 7.2% | WB |
| Net ODA Received (% of GNI) | 3.9% | 2023 | ▲ 13.3% | WB |
| Net ODA Received (USD) | $419.5M | 2023 | ▲ 28.0% | WB |
▶Finance3 indicators · 2024 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account Ownership at Financial Institution (%) | 27.3% | 2024 | ▲ 16.4% | WB |
| Account Ownership, Female (%) | 24.7% | 2024 | ▲ 53.3% | WB |
| Account Ownership, Male (%) | 30.3% | 2024 | ▼ 4.2% | WB |
▶People23 indicators · 2023–2025 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5.2M | 2024 | ▲ 2.9% | WB |
| Population Growth (%) | 2.9% | 2024 | ▼ 2.8% | WB |
| Population Density (per km²) | 5 | 2023 | ▲ 3.0% | WB |
| Surface Area (sq km) | 1.0M | 2023 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Land Area (sq km) | 1.0M | 2023 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Urban Population (%) | 60.6% | 2024 | ▲ 1.5% | WB |
| Urban Population (total) | 3.1M | 2024 | ▲ 4.5% | WB |
| Rural Population (%) | 39.4% | 2024 | ▼ 2.2% | WB |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 68.5 years | 2023 | ▲ 0.3% | WB |
| Life Expectancy, Male | 66.5 years | 2023 | ▲ 0.3% | WB |
| Life Expectancy, Female | 70.5 years | 2023 | ▲ 0.3% | WB |
| Fertility Rate (births per woman) | 4.7 | 2023 | ▼ 1.5% | WB |
| Birth Rate (per 1,000) | 34.4 | 2023 | ▼ 1.2% | WB |
| Death Rate (per 1,000) | 5.5 | 2023 | ▼ 1.9% | WB |
| Net Migration | -5,044 | 2025 | ▼ 130.8% | WB |
| Population Ages 0–14 (%) | 42.7% | 2024 | ▼ 0.8% | WB |
| Population Ages 15–64 (%) | 54.1% | 2024 | ▲ 0.6% | WB |
| Population Ages 65+ (%) | 3.2% | 2024 | ▲ 0.4% | WB |
| Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 85.0% | 2024 | ▼ 1.2% | WB |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 6.0% | 2024 | ▼ 0.2% | WB |
| Youth Dependency Ratio (%) | 79.0% | 2024 | ▼ 1.3% | WB |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000) | 204.7 | 2023 | ▼ 0.7% | WB |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000) | 154.1 | 2023 | ▼ 1.3% | WB |
▶Labor18 indicators · 2019–2025 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | 1.2M | 2025 | ▲ 3.1% | WB |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 40.8% | 2025 | ▼ 0.3% | WB |
| Female Labor Force Participation (%) | 26.2% | 2025 | ▼ 0.2% | WB |
| Male Labor Force Participation (%) | 56.6% | 2025 | ▼ 0.4% | WB |
| Unemployment (%) | 10.3% | 2025 | ▲ 0.6% | WB |
| Female Unemployment (%) | 14.7% | 2025 | ▼ 1.0% | WB |
| Male Unemployment (%) | 8.1% | 2025 | ▲ 2.1% | WB |
| Youth Unemployment (%) | 22.9% | 2025 | ▼ 0.5% | WB |
| Employment in Agriculture (%) | 32.1% | 2025 | ▼ 2.1% | WB |
| Employment in Industry (%) | 15.0% | 2025 | ▲ 0.8% | WB |
| Employment in Services (%) | 52.8% | 2025 | ▲ 1.1% | WB |
| Vulnerable Employment (%) | 53.3% | 2025 | ▼ 0.5% | WB |
| Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total) | 42.6% | 2025 | ▲ 0.6% | WB |
| Employers (% of total employment) | 4.1% | 2025 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Labor Force, Female (% of total) | 33.4% | 2025 | ▼ 0.1% | WB |
| Employment to Population Ratio (%) | 36.6% | 2025 | ▼ 0.4% | WB |
| Self-Employed (% of total) | 57.4% | 2025 | ▼ 0.5% | WB |
| NEET Youth (% not in education/employment) | 44.1% | 2019 | — | WB |
▶Education21 indicators · 2016–2024 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education Spending (% of GDP) | 4.7% | 2023 | ▲ 239.3% | WB |
| Education Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 32.0% | 2024 | ▲ 69.6% | WB |
| Adult Literacy Rate (%) | 59.5% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Female Literacy Rate (%) | 51.8% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Male Literacy Rate (%) | 70.1% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Youth Literacy Rate (%) | 70.9% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Primary School Enrollment (%) | 105.4% | 2024 | ▲ 1.4% | WB |
| Secondary School Enrollment (%) | 36.0% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Tertiary School Enrollment (%) | 6.0% | 2020 | ▲ 1.4% | WB |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 73.4% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Lower Secondary Completion Rate (%) | 49.8% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Out-of-School Children, Primary | 291,098 | 2024 | ▲ 48.6% | WB |
| Out-of-School Girls, Primary | 43,009 | 2024 | ▼ 51.4% | WB |
| Primary School Teachers | 24,560 | 2024 | ▲ 9.8% | WB |
| Secondary School Teachers | 9,029 | 2020 | — | WB |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Primary | 34 | 2018 | — | WB |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Secondary | 26 | 2018 | — | WB |
| Expenditure per Student, Primary (% of GDP/cap) | 55.9% | 2016 | — | WB |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Primary) | 64.9 | 2016 | — | WB |
| Education Spending, Secondary (% of govt) | 25.9% | 2016 | — | WB |
| Education Spending, Tertiary (% of govt) | 17.7% | 2016 | — | WB |
▶Health41 indicators · 2019–2024 · WHO
▶Energy & Environment14 indicators · 2020–2024 · WB / WHO
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ Emissions (tonnes per capita) | 1 | 2024 | ▲ 0.9% | WB |
| CO₂ Emissions (total kilotonnes) | 5 | 2024 | ▲ 3.8% | WB |
| Renewable Electricity Output (%) | 19.4% | 2021 | ▲ 2.4% | WB |
| Renewable Energy Consumption (%) | 19.6% | 2022 | ▼ 11.3% | WB |
| Access to Electricity (%) | 50.3% | 2023 | ▲ 2.7% | WB |
| Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%) | 49.4% | 2023 | ▲ 1.0% | WB |
| PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³) | 70.8 | 2020 | — | WB |
| Forest Area (%) | 0.3% | 2023 | ▼ 1.8% | WB |
| Forest Area (sq km) | 2,964 | 2023 | ▼ 1.8% | WB |
| Arable Land (%) | 0.4% | 2023 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Terrestrial Protected Areas (%) | 1.0% | 2024 | ▼ 9.1% | WB |
| Marine Protected Areas (%) | 3.7% | 2024 | ▼ 11.9% | WB |
| Access to Basic Drinking Water (%) | 77.3% | 2024 | ▲ 1.1% | WHO |
| Access to Basic Sanitation (%) | 58.7% | 2024 | ▲ 0.7% | WHO |
▶Agriculture11 indicators · 2022–2023 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Land (%) | 38.5% | 2023 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Cereal Yield (kg per hectare) | 1,968 | 2023 | ▲ 29.3% | WB |
| Food Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 116.5 | 2022 | ▲ 1.8% | WB |
| Crop Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 145 | 2022 | ▲ 3.1% | WB |
| Livestock Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 109.2 | 2022 | ▲ 1.4% | WB |
| Land Under Cereal Production (hectares) | 287,398 | 2023 | ▼ 20.8% | WB |
| Total Fisheries Production (metric tonnes) | 795,575 | 2023 | ▲ 1.9% | WB |
| Fertilizer Consumption (kg per hectare) | 8.5 | 2023 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Prevalence of Undernourishment (%) | 8.7% | 2023 | ▲ 1.2% | WB |
| Annual Freshwater Withdrawals (% of internal) | 337.1% | 2022 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Cereal Production (metric tons) | 565,667 | 2023 | ▲ 2.4% | WB |
▶Technology9 indicators · 2019–2024 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Users (%) | 37.4% | 2023 | ▲ 9.0% | WB |
| Mobile Subscriptions (per 100 people) | 91 | 2023 | ▼ 17.4% | WB |
| Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (per 100) | 0.6 | 2023 | ▲ 42.2% | WB |
| Secure Internet Servers (per million) | 52.2 | 2024 | ▲ 50.8% | WB |
| Scientific Journal Articles | 26 | 2022 | ▼ 27.8% | WB |
| High-Technology Exports (USD) | $2.0M | 2024 | ▼ 45.0% | WB |
| ICT Service Exports (% of service exports) | 1.2% | 2024 | ▼ 38.3% | WB |
| ICT Service Exports (USD) | $2.8M | 2024 | ▼ 52.1% | WB |
| Industrial Design Applications, Resident | 115 | 2019 | — | WB |
▶Infrastructure8 indicators · 2010–2023 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Transport, Passengers Carried | 328,992 | 2023 | ▼ 16.4% | WB |
| Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km) | 0 | 2019 | — | WB |
| Container Port Traffic (TEU) | 84,458 | 2019 | — | WB |
| Rail Lines (total km) | 728 | 2021 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Railways, Goods (million ton-km) | 7,536 | 2010 | — | WB |
| Logistics Performance Index (1–5) | 2.30 | 2022 | — | WB |
| Electricity from Oil (%) | 80.6% | 2021 | ▼ 0.5% | WB |
| Electricity from Nuclear (%) | 0.0% | 2021 | — | WB |
▶Gender8 indicators · 2018–2025 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women in Parliament (%) | 23.3% | 2024 | ▲ 0.0% | WB |
| Female Wage & Salaried Workers (%) | 28.1% | 2025 | ▲ 1.2% | WB |
| Girls Out-of-School Rate (%) | 106.3% | 2018 | — | WB |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1,000) | 88.9 | 2023 | ▼ 1.5% | WB |
| Women Who Believe Husband Can Beat Wife (%) | 27.1% | 2021 | — | WB |
| Gender Parity Index, Primary | 105.08 | 2018 | — | WB |
| Gender Parity Index, Secondary | 1.07 | 2020 | — | WB |
| Gender Parity in Primary Education | 1.07 | 2020 | — | WB |
▶Governance10 indicators · 2023 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control of Corruption | -0.82 | 2023 | ▼ 4.0% | WB |
| Government Effectiveness | -0.76 | 2023 | ▼ 5.3% | WB |
| Political Stability | -0.5 | 2023 | ▲ 2.6% | WB |
| Regulatory Quality | -1 | 2023 | ▲ 6.1% | WB |
| Rule of Law | -0.64 | 2023 | ▲ 1.1% | WB |
| Voice & Accountability | -0.66 | 2023 | ▲ 10.2% | WB |
| Control of Corruption (percentile rank) | 22.6% | 2023 | ▼ 4.0% | WB |
| Government Effectiveness (percentile rank) | 24.5% | 2023 | ▼ 3.7% | WB |
| Rule of Law (percentile rank) | 27.4% | 2023 | ▲ 7.4% | WB |
| Political Stability (percentile rank) | 26.1% | 2023 | ▼ 1.3% | WB |
▶Military6 indicators · 2020–2024 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military Spending (% of GDP) | 2.2% | 2024 | ▼ 4.7% | WB |
| Military Expenditure (USD) | $260.1M | 2024 | ▼ 6.2% | WB |
| Armed Forces Personnel | 21,000 | 2020 | — | WB |
| Armed Forces (% of labor force) | 2.0% | 2020 | — | WB |
| Military Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 9.6% | 2024 | ▼ 7.3% | WB |
| Intentional Homicides (per 100,000) | 1 | 2020 | — | WB |
▶Social Protection4 indicators · 2020 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Capital Index (0–1) | 0.38 | 2020 | — | WB |
| Human Capital Index, Female | 0.39 | 2020 | — | WB |
| Human Capital Index, Male | 0.37 | 2020 | — | WB |
| Learning-Adjusted Years of School | 4.2 years | 2020 | — | WB |
▶Tourism4 indicators · 2020 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts (USD) | $6.4M | 2020 | — | WB |
| Tourism Expenditures (USD) | $35.0M | 2020 | — | WB |
| Tourism Receipts (% of total exports) | 0.2% | 2020 | — | WB |
| International Tourism, Transport Services (USD) | $900,000 | 2020 | — | WB |
▶Urban Development6 indicators · 2022–2025 · WB
| Indicator | Value | Year | Δ YoY | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Population Growth (%) | 4.4% | 2024 | ▼ 2.7% | WB |
| Population in Largest City | 1.6M | 2025 | ▲ 3.9% | WB |
| Population in Largest City (% of urban) | 49.4% | 2025 | ▼ 0.4% | WB |
| Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total) | 30.3% | 2025 | ▲ 1.1% | WB |
| Population in Slums (% of urban) | 58.6% | 2022 | ▲ 4.6% | WB |
| Rural Population Growth (%) | 0.6% | 2024 | ▼ 14.4% | WB |