Mauritania

Presidential RepublicPop5.2MGDP (PPP)$33.1BCI27Beta CP0.0→Beta

Mauritania

⌘K

Overview

Background: The Amazigh and Bafour people were among the earliest settlers in what is now Mauritania and among the first in recorded history to convert from a nomadic to agricultural lifestyle. These groups account for roughly one third of Mauritania’s ethnic makeup. The remainder of Mauritania’s ethnic groups derive from Sub-Saharan ethnic groups originating mainly from the Senegal River Valley, including descendants of former enslaved peoples. These three groups are organized according to a strict caste system with deep ethnic divides that impact access to resources and power dynamics.

A former French colony, Mauritania achieved independence from France in 1960. Mauritania initially began as a single-party, authoritarian regime and experienced 49 years of dictatorships, flawed elections, failed attempts at democracy, and military coups. Ould Abdel AZIZ led the last coup in 2008, was elected president in 2009, and was reelected in 2014. Mohamed Ould Cheikh GHAZOUANI was elected president in 2019, and his inauguration marked the first peaceful transition of power from one democratically elected president to another, solidifying the country's status as an emerging democracy. International observers recognized the elections as relatively free and fair. GHAZOUANI is seeking re-election in June 2024 for a second, and final, five-year term.
The country is working to address vestigial practices of slavery and its hereditary impacts. Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1981, but the practice was not criminalized until 2007. Between 2005 and 2011, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) launched a series of attacks killing western tourists and aid workers, attacking diplomatic and government facilities, and ambushing Mauritanian soldiers and gendarmes. Although Mauritania has not seen an attack since 2011, AQIM and similar groups remain active in the Sahel region.

Geography

Area

Land: 1,030,700 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Total: 1,030,700 sq km

Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Land Use

Other: 60.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 38.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 38.1% (2023 est.)

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Coastline: 754 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
Highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
Mean elevation: 276 m

Irrigated land: 450 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin, Taodeni-Tanzerouft Basin
Map references: Africa

Land Boundaries

Total: 5,002 km
Border countries: Algeria 460 km; Mali 2,236 km; Morocco 1,564 km; Senegal 742 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
Geography note: Mauritania is considered part of both North Africa's Maghreb region and West Africa's Sahel region; most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country
Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
Area comparative: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico; about six times the size of Florida
Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 12 00 W
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, as shown in this population distribution map

Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)

Atlantic ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Senegal (456,397 sq km)

Major rivers (BY length in km): Senegal river mouth (shared with Guinea [s], Senegal and Mali) - 1,641 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 70.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 51.8% (2020 est.)
Total population: 59.5% (2020 est.)

Languages

Note: note: the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from Modern Standard Arabic; the Mauritanian dialect, which incorporates many Tamazight words, is referred to as Hassaniya
Languages: Arabic (official and national), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French
Major language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Muslim (official) 100%

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 34.01 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.18 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 21.1 years
Total: 18.6 years (2025 est.)
Female: 23.1 years

Population

Male: 2,578,114
Total: 5,202,109 (2025 est.)
Female: 2,623,995

Nationality

Noun: Mauritanian(s)
Adjective: Mauritanian

Tobacco Use

Male: 15.5% (2025 est.)
Total: 8.3% (2025 est.)
Female: 1.7% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 57.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 35.7% (male 776,035/female 770,132)
15 64 years: 59.9% (male 1,227,347/female 1,363,938)
65 years and over: 4.4% (2024 est.) (male 80,308/female 110,280)

Ethnic groups: Black Moors (Haratines - Arabic-speaking descendants of African origin who are or were enslaved by White Moors) 40%, White Moors (of Arab-Amazigh descent, known as Beydane) 30%, Sub-Saharan Mauritanians (non-Arabic speaking, largely resident in or originating from the Senegal River Valley, including Halpulaar, Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and Bambara ethnic groups) 30%

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 1.2% (2021)
Women married BY age 15: 15.5% (2021)
Women married BY age 18: 36.6% (2021)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 84.7 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 77.8 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 14.3 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 7 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 0.26 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 4.1% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 6.3% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.76 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 55.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 77.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 94.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 44.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 22.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 5.4% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 32% national budget (2024 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 54.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 29.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 42.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 2.88% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 2.34 (2025 est.)
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, as shown in this population distribution map

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 63.4 years
Female: 68.5 years
Total population: 65.9 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 381 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 33.9% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 65.5% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 89.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 66.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 34.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 10.6% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 1.492 million NOUAKCHOTT (capital) (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 12.7% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 21.8 years (2019/21)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 66.1% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 22.4% (2022 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 8 years (2020 est.)
Total: 8 years (2020 est.)
Female: 8 years (2020 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: green with red stripes along the top and bottom edges; on the green field, a five-pointed yellow star is centered over a yellow, upward-pointing crescent moon

meaning: the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam; green also represents hope for a bright future; yellow stands for the sands of the Sahara, and red for blood shed in the fight for independence

Capital

Name: Nouakchott
Etymology: the meaning of the name is unclear; it may derive from the Berber nawakshut, meaning "place of the winds;" other variants could translate as "the place where water appears in a new well," "the land where shells abound," "a place with pasture," "a windy place," or "without ears" (the last referring to a local chieftain who could have been the place's namesake)
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 15 58 W

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: no
Citizenship BY descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mauritania
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

History: previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991
Amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of amendments by Parliament requires approval of at least one third of the membership; a referendum is held only if the amendment is approved by two-thirds majority vote; passage by referendum requires simple majority vote by eligible voters; passage of amendments proposed by the president can bypass a referendum if approved by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament

Country 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
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
Local short form: Muritaniyah
Conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Conventional short form: Mauritania

Independence: 28 November 1960 (from France)
Legal system: mixed system of Islamic and French civil law
Government type: presidential republic

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (subdivided into 7 chambers: 2 civil, 2 labor, 1 commercial, 1 administrative, and 1 criminal, each with a chamber president and 2 councilors); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members); High Court of Justice (consists of 9 members)
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; courts of first instance, or wilya courts, are established in the regions' headquarters and include commercial and labor courts, criminal courts, Moughataa (district) Courts, and informal/customary courts
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, 1 by the prime minister, 1 by the leader of the democratic opposition, 1 by the largest opposition party in the National Assembly, and 1 by the second largest party in the National Assembly; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years; High Court of Justice members appointed by Parliament - 6 by the ruling Coalition of Majority Parties and 3 by opposition parties

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominees suggested by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (since 1 August 2019)
Election results: 2024: Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (UPR) 56.1%, Biram Dah Ould ABEID (independent) 22.1%, Hamadi Sidi el MOKHTAR independent) 12.8%, other 9.0%
Head of government: Prime Minister Moctar Ould DIAY (since 2 August 2024)
Most recent election date: 29 June 2024
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
Expected date of next election: June 2029

National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
National color(s): green, yellow

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Ancient Ksour (Fortified Villages) of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt, and Oualata (c); Banc d'Arguin National Park (n)

Political parties: Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR
El Insaf or Equity Party
El Islah or Reform Party
El Karama or Dignity Party
El Vadila or Virtue Party
Mauritanian Party of Union and Change or HATEM
National Democratic Alliance or AND
National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD or TAWASSOUL
Nida El-Watan
Party for Conciliation and Prosperity or HIWAR
Party of the Mauritanian Masses or Hakam
Republican Front for Unity and Democracy or FRUD
Sawab Party
Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP
Union of Planning and Construction or UPC

Legislative Branch

Note: note: the early parliamentary elections in 2023 were the first to be held under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El GHAZOUANI, elected in 2019 in the first peaceful transition of power; the elections followed the agreement between the government and parties in September 2022 to renew the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and hold the elections in the first semester of 2023 for climatic and logistical reasons
Chamber name: National Assembly (Al Jamiya-Al-Wataniya)
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 176 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: mixed system
Legislature name: Parliament (Barlamane)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 5/13/2023 to 5/27/2023
Expected date of next election: May 2028
Percentage of women in chamber: 23.3%
Parties elected and seats per party: El Insaf (107); Tawassoul (11); Other (58)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "National Anthem of Mauritania" 
History: adopted 2017
Lyrics/music: unknown/Rageh DAOUD

National symbol(s): five-pointed star between the horns of a horizontal crescent moon
Administrative divisions: 15 regions (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott Nord, Nouakchott Ouest, Nouakchott Sud, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 319-2623
Chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700
Chief of mission: Ambassador Cissé Mint Cheikh Ould BOIDE (since 15 September 2021)
Email address and website: ambarimwashington@diplomatie.gov.mr

mauritaniaembassyus.org – Mauritania Embassy washington

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [222] 4525-1592
Embassy: Nouadhibou Road, Avenue Al Quds, NOT PRTZ, Nouakchott
Telephone: [222] 4525-2660
Mailing address: 2430 Nouakchott Place, Washington DC  20521-2430
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Corina R. SANDERS (since September 2025)
Email address and website: consularnkc@state.gov

https://mr.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Legislature

MAURITANIA · LOWER HOUSE

National Assembly

176 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

176

Majority line

Largest party

People's Progressive Alliance

Parties

All political parties1 party · 176 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

MAURITANIA · UPPER HOUSE

Senate

56 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

People's Progressive Alliance

Parties

All political parties1 party · 56 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

MG
Mohamed Ould Ghazouani
- Head of StateSince 2019
MD
Moctar Ould Djay
- Head of GovernmentSince 2024

Economy

Budget

Revenues: $1.617 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $1.407 billion (2019 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $4.5B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2021: $3.18 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $4.132 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $3.955 billion (2023 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5.7B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2021: $4.312 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $5.77 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $5.271 billion (2023 est.)

Industries: fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)
Labor force: 1.21 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 100% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2016: 100% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021: 0.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022: 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2019: 36.691 (2019 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 37.189 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 36.063 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 36.935 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 36.489 (2023 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $3.072 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview: 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

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 10.3%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 10.6% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 10.5% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 10.4% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: China 25%, Switzerland 14%, Canada 12%, UAE 9%, Spain 7% (2023)
Imports partners: China 19%, UAE 14%, Morocco 6%, Spain 6%, France 5% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $7,369

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $6,100 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $6,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $6,400 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 6.3%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 6.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 6.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 5.2% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: rice, milk, goat milk, sorghum, sheep milk, lamb/mutton, beef, camel meat, camel milk, dates (2023)
Exports commodities: gold, iron ore, fish, processed crustaceans, copper ore (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, raw sugar, palm oil, wheat, soybean oil (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$1.0B

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2021: -$807.862 million (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$1.424 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$966.506 million (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $10.767 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 55.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 17.2% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 18.9% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.5% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 38.3% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -53.2% (2023 est.)

Population below poverty line: 31.8% (2019 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.5%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 9.5% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 5% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.5% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $33.069 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $29.514 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $31.434 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $33.069 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 19.9% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 23.2% (2024 est.)
Female: 30.1% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019: $1.029 billion (2019 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020: $1.493 billion (2020 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021: $2.039 billion (2021 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 30.6% (2024 est.)
Services: 43.2% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 18.6% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 3.1% (2019 est.)
Highest 10%: 24.6% (2019 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2019: 32 (2019 est.)

Energy

Coal

Imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Crude oil estimated reserves: 20 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 32,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Imports: 378 million kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.7 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 812,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 320 million kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Proven reserves: 28.317 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification urban areas: 91.6%
Electrification total population: 49% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 14.135 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 6.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 72.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 12.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 37% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: 12 TV stations, 6 state-owned and 6 private; 19 radio broadcasters, including 15 state-owned and 4 (Radio Nouakchott Libre, Radio Tenwir, Radio Kobeni and Mauritanid) private; of the 15 government stations, 4 broadcast from Nouakchott (Radio Mauritanie, Radio Jeunesse, Radio Koran and Mauritanid) and the other 12 broadcast from each of the 12 regions outside Nouakchott (2022)
Internet country code: .mr

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 48,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 4.76 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 14,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 1
Medium: 1
Key ports: Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
Very small: 0
Total ports: 2 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 2

Airports: 25 (2025)

Railways

Total: 728 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 728 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Heliports: 3 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 11 (2023)
BY type: general cargo 2, other 9

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 5T

Environment

Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Land Use

Other: 60.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 38.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 38.1% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 57.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 454,000 tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 10% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: desertification caused in part by overgrazing, deforestation, and drought-aggravated soil erosion; limited natural freshwater resources; locust infestation

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 95.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 31.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 1.223 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 4.86 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 4.86 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 35.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 11.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

Military note: founded in 1960, the Mauritanian military is responsible for territorial defense and internal security; it also assists in economic development projects, humanitarian missions, and disaster response; border and maritime security, regional stability, and the threat of terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, particularly Mali, are key areas of focus; Mauritania has received security assistance from the EU, France, NATO, and the US (2025)
Military deployments: 450 (plus about 325 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.2%

Military expenditures 2020: 2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 2.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military and security forces: Mauritanian Armed Forces (aka Armée Nationale Mauritanienne): National Army, National Navy, Air Force; Gendarmerie

Ministry of Interior and Decentralization: National Police, National Guard (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; has a compulsory two-year military service law, but the law has reportedly never been applied (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the military's inventory is limited and made up largely of older French and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Mauritania has received some secondhand and new military equipment from several suppliers, including China, France, and the UAE (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: estimated 17,000 active Mauritanian Armed Forces; estimated 3,000 Gendarmerie (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees: 162,277 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index27.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4139 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.14as of 2024-Q4124 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (33/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Mauritania — vintage 2026-Q1: Mauritania factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/mauritania

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Mauritania

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Mohamed Ould Ghazouani

Moctar Ould Djay

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