Share of population living in rural areas in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of population living in rural areas was 40.9% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Mauritania, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Mauritania stood at 40.9%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Mauritania peaked at 80.8% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 40.9%, in 2020.
Mauritania ranks 54th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 80.8% | — |
| 1955 | 80.1% | -0.9% |
| 1960 | 79.1% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 77.9% | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 76.4% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 74.8% | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 67.9% | -9.2% |
| 1985 | 60.8% | -10.4% |
| 1990 | 55.9% | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 53.7% | -3.9% |
| 2000 | 51.0% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | -6.5% |
| 2010 | 44.7% | -6.2% |
| 2015 | 41.9% | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 40.9% | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 80.4% | 80.1% | 80.8% | 2 |
| 1960s | 78.5% | 77.9% | 79.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 75.6% | 74.8% | 76.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 64.3% | 60.8% | 67.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 54.8% | 53.7% | 55.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 49.3% | 47.6% | 51.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 43.3% | 41.9% | 44.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 40.9% | 40.9% | 40.9% | 1 |
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 rural areas in Mauritania?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Mauritania was 40.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 80.8% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.9% in 2020.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Mauritania ranks 54th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.