World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
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Health · Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower-middle income

Mauritania: health in numbers

Life expectancy is 68.7 yrs (2024), 164th of 217 in the world and 8th of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Life expectancy, women is 70.7 yrs (2024), 171st of 217 in the world and 13th of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Life expectancy, men is 66.7 yrs (2024), 159th of 217 in the world and 7th of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Life expectancy68.7 yrs2024 · world 164/217 · region 8/48Life expectancy, women70.7 yrs2024 · world 171/217 · region 13/48Life expectancy, men66.7 yrs2024 · world 159/217 · region 7/48Infant mortality30.22024 · world 47/196 · region 36/48
Life expectancy
MauritaniaSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
50607080199520002005201020152020Mauritania68.7 yrsSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
Life expectancy, women
MauritaniaSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
50607080199520002005201020152020Mauritania70.7 yrsSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
18 indicators

Health: Mauritania in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Life expectancyLife expectancy at birth, years68.7 yrs2024164/2178/4861.0 yrs65.7 yrs66.8 yrs+3.8%since 201462.8 yrs69.5 yrs73.5 yrs
Life expectancy, womenLife expectancy at birth, women, years70.7 yrs2024171/21713/4862.8 yrs67.9 yrs68.9 yrs+3.5%since 201465.0 yrs71.3 yrs76.0 yrs
Life expectancy, menLife expectancy at birth, men, years66.7 yrs2024159/2177/4859.2 yrs63.5 yrs64.8 yrs+3.9%since 201460.7 yrs67.8 yrs71.1 yrs
Infant mortalityInfant mortality, per 1,000 live births30.2202447/19636/4867.342.733.9−23%since 201447.133.127.7
Under-5 mortalityUnder-5 mortality, per 1,000 live births36.9202448/19638/4898.056.842.0−27%since 201471.243.837.4
Neonatal mortalityNeonatal mortality, per 1,000 live births20.8202443/19633/4838.928.322.9−21%since 201426.621.617.2
Maternal mortalityMaternal mortality, per 100,000 live births381202315/19414/48644499413−23%since 2013448235197
Measles vaccinationMeasles immunisation, % of children 12–23 months93%202480/1937/4846%67%82%+18.0 ppsince 201469%86%84%
HIV prevalenceHIV prevalence, % of people 15–490.1%2024129/15343/440.7%0.5%0.2%−0.2 ppsince 20143.0%0.7%0.7%
TuberculosisTuberculosis incidence, per 100,000 people65202477/20838/4822914584−42%since 2014205208131
Health spendingCurrent health expenditure, % of GDP4.3%2023146/19326/483.4%2.6%3.0%+1.5 ppsince 20134.9%3.7%10.1%
Out-of-pocket spendingOut-of-pocket health spending, % of health expenditure43.8%202350/19320/4877.8%62.6%61.5%−6.4 ppsince 201330.4%47.0%17.3%
PhysiciansPhysicians per 1,000 people0.262022143/18015/46·0.160.20+62%since 20100.250.711.86
Hospital bedsHospital beds per 1,000 people0.42006——···——1.53.3
Basic waterBasic drinking water, % of population77.3%2024174/20618/4641.4%56.1%71.7%+14.9 ppsince 201467.5%90.8%91.5%
Basic sanitationBasic sanitation, % of population58.7%2024161/20310/4618.2%32.6%51.8%+18.8 ppsince 201437.1%73.9%82.2%
Tobacco useTobacco use, % of adults9.9%2024135/16620/3919.7%14.5%11.0%−4.6 ppsince 20108.9%20.4%20.3%
Road deathsRoad traffic deaths, per 100,000 people25.6201947/18638/4826.126.425.62019−2.3%since 200927.417.416.7
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

No rated indicator got worse over the decade.

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Mauritania and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Mauritania. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorMauritaniaAlgeriaMaliSenegal
Life expectancy68.7 yrs202476.5 yrs202460.7 yrs202468.9 yrs2024
Life expectancy, women70.7 yrs202477.9 yrs202462.1 yrs202471.0 yrs2024
Life expectancy, men66.7 yrs202475.1 yrs202459.3 yrs202467.0 yrs2024
Infant mortality30.2202419.5202447.5202428.92024
Under-5 mortality36.9202421.6202473.0202436.52024
Neonatal mortality20.8202415.0202428.0202420.92024
Maternal mortality381202362202336720232372023
Measles vaccination93%202494%202472%202487%2024
HIV prevalence0.1%20240.1%20240.8%20240.3%2024
Algeria: healthMali: healthSenegal: health
Health in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedHealth: lower-middle-income countries47 economies rankedHealth: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesMauritania: all key statisticscountry profile