Share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 50.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
50.3%
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
140th
of 202 countries
All-time high
50.3%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania is 50.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania peaked at 50.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Mauritania ranks 140th of 202 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.3% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 1.8% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 1.9% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 2.1% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 2.3% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 2.5% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 2.8% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 3.1% | +9.5% |
| 1951 | 3.3% | +8.7% |
| 1952 | 3.6% | +8.7% |
| 1953 | 3.9% | +8.6% |
| 1954 | 4.3% | +8.6% |
| 1955 | 4.6% | +8.5% |
| 1956 | 5.0% | +8.5% |
| 1957 | 5.4% | +8.4% |
| 1958 | 5.9% | +8.3% |
| 1959 | 6.4% | +8.3% |
| 1960 | 6.9% | +8.2% |
| 1961 | 7.4% | +8.1% |
| 1962 | 8.0% | +8.0% |
| 1963 | 8.7% | +8.0% |
| 1964 | 9.4% | +7.9% |
| 1965 | 10.1% | +7.8% |
| 1966 | 10.9% | +7.8% |
| 1967 | 11.7% | +7.7% |
| 1968 | 12.6% | +7.6% |
| 1969 | 13.6% | +7.5% |
| 1970 | 14.6% | +7.4% |
| 1971 | 15.7% | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 16.8% | +7.4% |
| 1973 | 18.0% | +7.3% |
| 1974 | 19.4% | +7.3% |
| 1975 | 20.8% | +7.3% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | +6.5% |
| 1977 | 23.5% | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 24.7% | +5.5% |
| 1979 | 26.1% | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 27.5% | +5.4% |
| 1981 | 28.9% | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 30.3% | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 31.9% | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 33.4% | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 35.0% | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 36.6% | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 38.2% | +4.4% |
| 1988 | 39.4% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 39.5% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 39.5% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 39.4% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 39.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 39.4% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 39.4% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 39.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 39.4% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 39.3% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 39.3% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 39.3% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 39.4% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 39.6% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 39.8% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 40.0% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 40.2% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 40.4% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 40.6% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 40.8% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 41.0% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 41.2% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 41.4% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 42.1% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 42.7% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 43.3% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 43.9% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 44.5% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 45.1% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 45.8% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 46.4% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 47.0% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 47.6% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 48.2% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 48.7% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 49.2% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 49.8% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 50.3% | +1.1% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 50.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47.0%, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 50.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46.2%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1830s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1840s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1850s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1860s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1870s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1880s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1890s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1900s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1910s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1920s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1940s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1950s | 4.5% | 3.1% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 9.9% | 6.9% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 20.2% | 14.6% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.1% | 27.5% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.4% | 39.3% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.3% | 39.4% | 41.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.2% | 41.4% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.0% | 47.6% | 50.3% | 6 |
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)
- World population growth 0.6% (2100)
- Population density 16.61 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.22 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.6% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 4.31 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Mauritania was 50.3% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 50.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Mauritania ranks 140th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.