Population in Mauritania
Mauritania: Population was 5.02 million people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population in Mauritania, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Mauritania recorded 5.02 million people for population in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 34.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Mauritania peaked at 5.02 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 657,722 people, in 1950.
Mauritania ranks 127th of 236 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 725,880 people | 657,722 people | 803,611 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 937,743 people | 824,307 people | 1.07 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.26 million people | 1.10 million people | 1.43 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.68 million people | 1.47 million people | 1.90 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.26 million people | 1.95 million people | 2.54 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.92 million people | 2.61 million people | 3.28 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.92 million people | 3.39 million people | 4.47 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.81 million people | 4.60 million people | 5.02 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More population data for Mauritania
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.6% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.22 million people (2100)
- Population density 16.61 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.6% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 4.62 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 155,193 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 4.62 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 4.62 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 2.9% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.7 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in Mauritania?
- Population in Mauritania was 5.02 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 5.02 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 657,722 people in 1950.
- How does Mauritania rank for population?
- Mauritania ranks 127th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.