PopulationTracker

Mauritania population

Current population of Mauritania

5,478,124

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
103
Deaths today
16
Change today (UTC)
+84
World rank
126th of 218
0.06% of world population
Population
5,315,065
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+2.78%
2025
Density
4.9 /km²
2023
Land area
1,030,700 km²
Urban population
61%
2025
Median age
17.4 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
4.63
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
68.7 yrs
2024
Net migration
−5,044
2025
Capital
Nouakchott
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa

Population of Mauritania: overview

Mauritania has a population of 5,315,065 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 126th largest in the world. Mauritania is part of the Sub-Saharan Africa region and its capital is Nouakchott.

The population is growing rapidly, at 2.78% per year — among the fastest rates recorded anywhere. In absolute terms that meant roughly 145,670 additional people over the past year.

With roughly 4.9 people per km², Mauritania is among the emptiest inhabited places in the world, spread across 1,030,700 km² of land. A slim urban majority has emerged, with 61% of people living in cities.

With a median age of just 17.4 years, Mauritania has one of the youngest populations in the world. Fertility remains high at 4.63 children per woman. Life expectancy at birth is 68.7 years (2024).

The UN projects strong growth ahead: 9.42 million people by 2050, about 77% more than today. The 2030 projection is 6,062,528.

Mauritania population, 1960–2025 and projections

02M4M6M8M10M19601980200020202040projected2025: 5.32M1960: 824,2981961: 846,1671962: 869,1841963: 893,4231964: 918,9551965: 945,8381966: 974,1571967: 1,003,8431968: 1,034,7391969: 1,066,7541970: 1,099,8061971: 1,133,7021972: 1,168,3551973: 1,203,8381974: 1,240,1881975: 1,277,3301976: 1,315,3361977: 1,353,7681978: 1,392,7131979: 1,432,7581980: 1,474,0431981: 1,516,8771982: 1,561,1761983: 1,606,7461984: 1,653,6931985: 1,702,1071986: 1,751,8351987: 1,803,0141988: 1,855,8591989: 1,903,0481990: 1,951,8781991: 2,009,7381992: 2,088,1351993: 2,174,3281994: 2,249,4541995: 2,312,0171996: 2,358,1881997: 2,411,3061998: 2,474,6511999: 2,541,6982000: 2,613,4412001: 2,678,7602002: 2,738,6552003: 2,802,0462004: 2,868,6642005: 2,939,0592006: 3,013,6602007: 3,093,0592008: 3,183,2692009: 3,284,4482010: 3,390,9652011: 3,502,8112012: 3,619,0342013: 3,734,3182014: 3,848,5142015: 3,965,9592016: 4,086,6572017: 4,210,6002018: 4,337,6852019: 4,467,7082020: 4,600,1312021: 4,734,8742022: 4,875,6372023: 5,022,4412024: 5,169,3952025: 5,315,0652030: 6,062,5282050: 9,415,598
Population of Mauritania by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
20255,315,065+2.78%+145,670
20245,169,395+2.88%+146,954
20235,022,441+2.97%+146,804
20224,875,637+2.93%+140,763
20214,734,874+2.89%+134,743
20204,600,131+2.92%+132,423
20194,467,708+2.95%+130,023
20184,337,685+2.97%+127,085
20174,210,600+2.99%+123,943
20164,086,657+3.00%+120,698
20153,965,959+3.01%+117,445
20143,848,514+3.01%+114,196
20103,390,965+3.19%+106,517
20052,939,059+2.42%+70,395
20002,613,441+2.78%+71,743
19952,312,017+2.74%+62,563
19901,951,878+2.53%+48,830
19851,702,107+2.89%+48,414
19801,474,043+2.84%+41,285
19751,277,330+2.95%+37,142
19701,099,806+3.05%+33,052
1965945,838+2.88%+26,883
1960824,298––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Mauritania population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Mauritania
YearProjected populationvs today
20306,062,528+14.1%
20509,415,598+77.1%

Mauritania population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 42.4% of Mauritania's population is under 15, 54.4% is of working age (15–64), and 3.2% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%8%8%0-4 male: 419,623 (7.9%)0-4 female: 409,228 (7.7%)0-45-9 male: 379,195 (7.1%)5-9 female: 370,505 (7.0%)10-14 male: 341,698 (6.4%)10-14 female: 332,519 (6.3%)10-1415-19 male: 291,538 (5.5%)15-19 female: 289,067 (5.4%)20-24 male: 234,995 (4.4%)20-24 female: 243,075 (4.6%)20-2425-29 male: 192,560 (3.6%)25-29 female: 206,787 (3.9%)30-34 male: 161,119 (3.0%)30-34 female: 177,273 (3.3%)30-3435-39 male: 134,043 (2.5%)35-39 female: 150,281 (2.8%)40-44 male: 109,448 (2.1%)40-44 female: 125,279 (2.4%)40-4445-49 male: 88,025 (1.7%)45-49 female: 102,999 (1.9%)50-54 male: 73,166 (1.4%)50-54 female: 84,784 (1.6%)50-5455-59 male: 59,215 (1.1%)55-59 female: 67,755 (1.3%)60-64 male: 45,857 (0.9%)60-64 female: 52,465 (1.0%)60-6465-69 male: 33,682 (0.6%)65-69 female: 38,827 (0.7%)70-74 male: 22,084 (0.4%)70-74 female: 26,203 (0.5%)70-7475-79 male: 12,913 (0.2%)75-79 female: 16,078 (0.3%)80-84 male: 6,455 (0.1%)80-84 female: 8,481 (0.2%)80-8485-89 male: 2,456 (0.0%)85-89 female: 3,442 (0.1%)90-94 male: 609 (0.0%)90-94 female: 993 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 111 (0.0%)95-99 female: 200 (0.0%)100+ male: 11 (0.0%)100+ female: 22 (0.0%)100+

Mauritania population FAQ

What is the population of Mauritania in 2026?

Mauritania's population is estimated at about 5.48 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 5,315,065 (2025). Mauritania ranks 126th in the world by population.

Is the population of Mauritania growing or shrinking?

Mauritania's population is growing at about 2.78% per year, an increase of roughly 145,670 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Mauritania?

Mauritania has about 5 people per square kilometre across a land area of 1,030,700 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Mauritania?

Mauritania is home to about 0.06% of the world's population.

What is Mauritania's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Mauritania's population at 9,415,598 in 2050, passing through 6,062,528 in 2030.

What is the median age in Mauritania?

The median age in Mauritania is 17.4 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.