Mauritania — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Mauritania: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Mauritania is in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Moroccan Sahara. It covers 1,030,700 sq km. Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills. Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty.
| Capital | Nouakchott |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,202,109 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $33.069 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $6,400 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 5.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.5% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 10.4% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 100% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $3.955 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $5.271 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 65.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 18.6 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 57.7% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 28 November 1960 (from France) |
| Languages | Arabic (official and national), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French |
Mauritania’s GDP is $33.069 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $10.767 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 5.2% (2024 est.). See where Mauritania ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A neutral quarter in the truest sense: nothing happened that altered the country's course or standing.
The score records absence of momentum honestly — the deeper currents continue, unmoved by the calendar.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 2.5%
- What drags it down: a median age of 19 — a nation of children, its workforce still in the classroom; fertility of 4.8 children per woman — far above replacement, a cradle overflowing faster than schools can keep up
Iron ore, Gypsum, Copper, Phosphates, Diamonds, Gold, Oil.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 49% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 72.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 6.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 12.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 14.135 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 20.8 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 4,143 kWh per person (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $3.955 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $5.271 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $1.3 billion (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper) |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Mohamed Ould Ghazouani — President. President Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (since 1 August 2019)
Mauritania maintains 39 embassies and 1 consulates abroad, hosts 33 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 39 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 1 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 33 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 754 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 25 + 3 heliports (registration prefix 5T) |
| Major seaports | Nouadhibou, Nouakchott |
| Railways | 728 km |
Major airports
Nouadhibou International Airport (NDB) — Nouadhibou; Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport (NKC) — Nouakchott; Tazadit Airport (OUZ) — Zouérate.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Mauritania.
Historical timeline of Mauritania
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Mauritania — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Mauritania's power score?
Mauritania has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.