Total population (thousands) in Mauritania
Mauritania: Total population (thousands) was 5,242 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5,242 thousands
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
124th
of 233 countries
All-time high
5,242 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
1,083 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Mauritania, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total population in Mauritania is 5,242 thousands, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and up 34.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Mauritania peaked at 5,242 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,083 thousands, in 1970.
That places Mauritania 124th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,083 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 1,117 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 1,151 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 1,186 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 1,222 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 1,259 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 1,296 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1977 | 1,335 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 1,373 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 1,412 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 1,453 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 1,495 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 1,539 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 1,584 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 1,630 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 1,678 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 1,727 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 1,777 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 1,829 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 1,883 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 1,923 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 1,980 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 2,039 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 2,137 thousands | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 2,212 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 2,287 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 2,337 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 2,380 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 2,443 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 2,506 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 2,577 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 2,650 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 2,708 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 2,770 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 2,834 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 2,903 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 2,975 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 3,052 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 3,134 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 3,233 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 3,336 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 3,446 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 3,560 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 3,678 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 3,791 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 3,906 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 4,025 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 4,148 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 4,273 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 4,402 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 4,533 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 4,667 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 4,803 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 4,948 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 5,097 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 5,242 thousands | +2.9% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 5,242 thousands is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,314 thousands, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 5,242 thousands is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,783 thousands, 35% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,243 thousands | 1,083 thousands | 1,412 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,659 thousands | 1,453 thousands | 1,883 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,224 thousands | 1,923 thousands | 2,506 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,884 thousands | 2,577 thousands | 3,233 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,857 thousands | 3,336 thousands | 4,402 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,882 thousands | 4,533 thousands | 5,242 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 121 Central African Republic 5,421 thousands compare
- 122 Oman 5,398 thousands compare
- 123 Ireland 5,283 thousands compare
- 125 New Zealand 5,234 thousands compare
- 126 Costa Rica 5,142 thousands compare
- 127 Kuwait 4,985 thousands compare
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 total population in Mauritania?
- Total population in Mauritania was 5,242 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 5,242 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,083 thousands in 1970.
- How does Mauritania rank for total population?
- Mauritania ranks 124th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.2%. 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 Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release