COUNTRY PROFILEMauritania
Mauritania's population is 5,315,065 (2025) — the 125th-largest in the world and the 39th-largest in Africa, growing by about 145,670 people a year.
5,396,325
Population right now, ticking live from the last confirmed count.▲ growing5,315,065 (World Bank, 2025) + +145,670/year × elapsed time since 2025-12-31 — open formula, updates every tick
Mauritania Facts at a Glance
Five numbers that summarise the country — population trend, rank, density, wealth, share of humanity.
Population2025
5,315,065
World rank
#125
of 217 tracked geographies
Density
5.2 / km²
1,030,700 km² land area
GDP / capita
$2,198
#147 economy overall
Share of humanity
1 in 1546 people on Earth lives in Mauritania
Mauritania's Population Growth
Yes — Mauritania's population rose by 145,670 people (+2.82%) between 2024 and 2025. The fertility rate is 4.6 births per woman. Net migration was negative in the latest year on record.
You, in Mauritania
A personal read on the numbers above — nothing is stored, it never leaves your browser.
Enter a birth year between 1960 and 2025 to see where you'd land.
Mauritania Demographics
Every indicator has its own source and dataset year — shown honestly rather than smoothed into one.
Population density2025
5.2 people / km²
1,030,700 km² land area, 2025
Median age2025
18.5 years
half the population is older, half younger
Life expectancy2024
68.7 years
M 66.7 · F 70.7
Average height2019
165.5 cm (male)
female 160.1 cm
Homicide rate2020
1.0 per 100,000
#46 safest of 196
Air quality (PM2.5)2023
46.5 µg/m³
lower is cleaner
Urban population2025
61.5 %
share living in cities
Fertility rate2025
4.6 births / woman
replacement level ≈ 2.1
Net migration2025
−5,044 people
negative in latest year
Mauritania in World Rankings
Every world ranking we publish, where this country sits in each one, and its overall percentile profile.
Population5,315,065 people
#125 / 217
→
GDP$11.7B
#147 / 186
→
Life expectancy68.7 years
#164 / 217
→
Average height165.5 cm (male)
#187 / 200
→
Cleanest air46.5 µg/m³ PM2.5
#185 / 200
→
Safest countries1 homicides / 100k
#46 / 196
→
Most dangerous1 homicides / 100k
#151 / 196
→
Percentile in each ranking — further from centre is a higher rank (closer to #1).
Population, 1960 to 2025
66 years of estimates from the same source.
Source: World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL) · annual estimates, 1960–2025 · hover the line for any year.
Age & sex structure
17 five-year bands, male and female, 2025.
Male — 2,608,804Female — 2,706,268
Largest cities
By population, GeoNames city-proper figures (not metro area).
Where is Mauritania Located?
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Currency
- Ouguiya (MRU)
- Language(s)
- Arabic, FUC, SNK, French, MEY, Wolof
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Continent
- 54 countries in Africa →
- Land area
- 1,030,700 km²
- Area (GeoNames)
- 1,030,700 km²
- Borders
- 3 countries
Senegal
Algeria
MaliMauritaniaVSExplore Mauritania in Every Ranking
Jump straight to the full world table for any of these indicators.
Frequently asked
What is the population of Mauritania?
Mauritania's population is 5,315,065 as of 2025 (World Bank estimate), ranking #125 of 217 countries and territories by population.
How many people live in Mauritania?
5,315,065 people, as of the 2025 World Bank estimate — the most recent figure this page tracks.
What is Mauritania's population density?
5.2 people per km², based on a land area of 1,030,700 km².
What is Mauritania ranked in population worldwide?
#125 of 217 countries and territories by population — see the full ranking table for every country's position.
What is the life expectancy in Mauritania?
68.7 years on average (2024) — 66.7 for men, 70.7 for women.
What is Mauritania's GDP?
$11.7B, ranking #147 of 186 economies we track — $2,198 per capita.
Sources
World Bank Open Data
CC BY 4.0 · population, GDP, life expectancy, homicide, PM2.5, vitals
data.worldbank.org →