Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Mauritania
Mauritania: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 68.48 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
68.48 years
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
161st
of 215 countries
All-time high
68.48 years
in 2023
All-time low
50.54 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Mauritania, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth, total in Mauritania stood at 68.48 years. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Mauritania peaked at 68.48 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 50.54 years, in 1970.
Mauritania ranks 161st of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 50.54 years | — |
| 1971 | 50.76 years | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 51.04 years | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 51.22 years | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 51.43 years | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 51.57 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 51.77 years | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 52 years | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 52.35 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 52.76 years | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 53.2 years | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 53.68 years | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 54.23 years | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 54.58 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 55.2 years | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 55.81 years | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 56.32 years | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 56.96 years | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 57.48 years | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 57.7 years | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 58.09 years | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 58.29 years | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 58.57 years | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 58.73 years | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 58.76 years | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 58.86 years | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 58.91 years | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 59.42 years | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 59.89 years | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 60.44 years | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 61.04 years | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 61.66 years | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 62.25 years | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 62.8 years | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 63.37 years | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 63.92 years | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 64.49 years | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 64.89 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 65.23 years | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 65.48 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 65.66 years | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 65.75 years | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 65.81 years | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 65.89 years | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 66.21 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 66.5 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 66.82 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 67.09 years | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 67.42 years | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 67.64 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 66.79 years | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 66.76 years | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 68.28 years | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 68.48 years | +0.3% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 68.48 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.65 years, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 68.48 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 51.54 years | 50.54 years | 52.76 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 55.52 years | 53.2 years | 57.7 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 59 years | 58.09 years | 60.44 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.51 years | 61.04 years | 65.48 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.48 years | 65.66 years | 67.64 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.58 years | 66.76 years | 68.48 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More population data for Mauritania
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.6195 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.8005 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.6195 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5617 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1772 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.614 (2100)
- Population density 16.61 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.22 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.614 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 1.46 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Mauritania?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Mauritania was 68.48 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 68.48 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.54 years in 1970.
- How does Mauritania rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Mauritania ranks 161st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release