Rural population in Mauritania
Mauritania: Rural population was 41.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Mauritania, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Mauritania is 41.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Mauritania peaked at 85.4% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 41.5%, in 2024.
Mauritania ranks 89th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 85.4% | — |
| 1971 | 84.4% | -1.3% |
| 1972 | 83.2% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 82.0% | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 80.8% | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 79.4% | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 78.0% | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 76.7% | -1.7% |
| 1978 | 75.4% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 74.0% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 72.6% | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 71.2% | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 69.7% | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 68.2% | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 66.6% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 65.0% | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 63.4% | -2.5% |
| 1987 | 61.7% | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 60.4% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 60.6% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 60.7% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 60.8% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 60.9% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 61.0% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 61.2% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 61.3% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 61.4% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 61.5% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 61.7% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 61.8% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 61.9% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 61.4% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 60.5% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 59.6% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 58.8% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 57.9% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 57.0% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 56.1% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 55.2% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 54.3% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 53.4% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 51.6% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 50.7% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 49.8% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 48.9% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 48.0% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 47.2% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 46.3% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 45.5% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 44.7% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 43.9% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 43.1% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 42.3% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 41.5% | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 79.9% | 74.0% | 85.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 65.9% | 60.4% | 72.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 61.2% | 60.7% | 61.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.3% | 54.3% | 61.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.4% | 45.5% | 53.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.1% | 41.5% | 44.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More population data for Mauritania
- 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)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.3851 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Mauritania?
- Rural population in Mauritania was 41.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 85.4% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.5% in 2024.
- How does Mauritania rank for rural population?
- Mauritania ranks 89th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release