Population growth in Mauritania
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Mauritania increased from 850,377.00 to 4.61 million people. This is a growth of 442.7 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Mauritania was recorded in 1968 with 3.08 percent. The smallest increase in 2015 with 0.39 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Mauritania rose by 1.29 years from 2012 to 2021 from 19.71 to 21.00 years (median value).
Around 56 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 4.0 percent 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 Mauritania | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % | 35.5 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 3.95 M | 0.39 % | 35.2 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 4.05 M | 2.68 % | 34.8 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 4.16 M | 2.67 % | 34.4 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 4.27 M | 2.66 % | 34.2 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 4.38 M | 2.65 % | 33.7 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 4.50 M | 2.62 % | 33.4 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 4.61 M | 2.59 % | 33.2 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Mauritania
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population in Mauritania increased by about 116,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.4 per 1,000 people (~ 33,500 deaths) and the birth rate was 33.2 per 1,000 people (~ 149,000 births). As a result, around 500 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 31,588 in Mauritania. The number of births was 143,016 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life 2023 in country comparison
Debts an budget deficits in Germany