
Population growth in Mauritania
From 1960 to 2020 the population of Mauritania increased from 850,377.00 to 4.65 m people. This is a growth by 446.8 percent in 60 years. The highest increase in Mauritania was recorded in 1968 with 3.08%. The smallest increase in 1997 with 2.56%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 156.0 percent.
The average age in Mauritania rose by 1.29 years from 2012 to 2020 from 19.71 to 21.00 years (median value).
Around 55% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 4.2% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Mauritania
Population development in Mauritania since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Mauritania | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 0.88 M | 2.96 % | 49.1 ‰ | 19.4 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 0.90 M | 2.98 % | 48.8 ‰ | 18.8 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 0.93 M | 3.00 % | 48.4 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 0.96 M | 3.02 % | 48.1 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 0.99 M | 3.04 % | 47.8 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 1.02 M | 3.06 % | 47.4 ‰ | 16.9 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 1.05 M | 3.08 % | 47.1 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 1.08 M | 3.08 % | 46.8 ‰ | 16.1 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 1.11 M | 3.07 % | 46.6 ‰ | 15.8 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 1.15 M | 3.06 % | 46.3 ‰ | 15.6 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 1.18 M | 3.04 % | 46.0 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 1.22 M | 3.03 % | 45.7 ‰ | 15.1 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 1.25 M | 3.02 % | 45.5 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 1.29 M | 3.01 % | 45.2 ‰ | 14.6 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 1.33 M | 3.00 % | 44.9 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 1.37 M | 2.99 % | 44.6 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 1.41 M | 2.98 % | 44.3 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 1.45 M | 2.97 % | 44.0 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 1.50 M | 2.97 % | 43.7 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 1.54 M | 2.97 % | 43.4 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 1.59 M | 2.98 % | 43.1 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 1.63 M | 2.97 % | 42.8 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 1.68 M | 2.95 % | 42.5 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 1.73 M | 2.91 % | 42.2 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 1.78 M | 2.85 % | 41.9 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 1.83 M | 2.79 % | 41.6 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 1.88 M | 2.74 % | 41.3 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 1.93 M | 2.70 % | 40.9 ‰ | 10.2 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 1.98 M | 2.67 % | 40.6 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 2.03 M | 2.65 % | 40.2 ‰ | 9.8 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 2.09 M | 2.63 % | 39.9 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 2.14 M | 2.62 % | 39.6 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 2.20 M | 2.61 % | 39.3 ‰ | 9.5 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 2.26 M | 2.59 % | 39.1 ‰ | 9.5 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 2.31 M | 2.58 % | 38.9 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 2.37 M | 2.56 % | 38.7 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 2.43 M | 2.56 % | 38.6 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 2.50 M | 2.57 % | 38.4 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 2.56 M | 2.62 % | 38.3 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 2.63 M | 2.68 % | 38.1 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 2.70 M | 2.74 % | 38.0 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 2.78 M | 2.80 % | 37.8 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 2.86 M | 2.85 % | 37.7 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 2.94 M | 2.87 % | 37.5 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 3.02 M | 2.89 % | 37.3 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 3.11 M | 2.90 % | 37.2 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 3.20 M | 2.91 % | 37.0 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 3.30 M | 2.93 % | 36.8 ‰ | 8.6 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 3.39 M | 2.95 % | 36.7 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 3.49 M | 2.97 % | 36.5 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 3.60 M | 2.99 % | 36.3 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 3.71 M | 3.00 % | 36.0 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 3.82 M | 2.99 % | 35.7 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 3.93 M | 2.97 % | 35.4 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 4.05 M | 2.94 % | 35.0 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
2016 | 4.16 M | 2.90 % | 34.6 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
2017 | 4.28 M | 2.86 % | 34.1 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 4.40 M | 2.82 % | 33.7 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 7,602 M | 1.11 % | |
2019 | 4.53 M | 2.78 % | 33.3 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 7,683 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 4.65 M | 2.74 % | 7,762 M | 1.02 % |

Birth- and deathrate in Mauritania
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2019 in the graph: The population in Mauritania increased by about 122,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.1 per 1000 people (~ 31,300 deaths) and the birth rate was 33.3 per 1000 people (~ 146,000 births). As a result, around 7,300 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 30,635 in Mauritania. The number of births was 139,775 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate