UNData app

General Information

Region		Western Africa
Population (000, 2021)		4 775^a
Pop. density (per km2, 2021)		4.6^a
Capital city		Nouakchott
Capital city pop. (000, 2021)		1 259.0^b
UN membership date		27-Oct-61
Surface area (km2)		1 030 700^b
Sex ratio (m per 100 f)		100.9^a
National currency		Ouguiya (MRU)
Exchange rate (per US$)		36.7^c

Economic indicators

	2010	2015	2021
GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$)	5 629	6 167	7 594^b
GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices)	2.6	5.4	5.9^b
GDP per capita (current US$)	1 610.9	1 524.1	1 677.9^b
Economy: Agriculture^d (% of Gross Value Added)	17.6	23	20.8^b
Economy: Industry^e,f (% of Gross Value Added)	40.3	25.3	28.3^b
Economy: Services and other activity^g (% of GVA)	42.1	51.7	50.9^b
Employment in agriculture^h (% of employed)	56.9	53.8	50.6^c
Employment in industry^h (% of employed)	11.9	12.5	13.1^c
Employment in services^h (% employed)	31.2	33.7	36.3^c
Unemployment^h (% of labour force)	9.8	9.8	9.6^c
Labour force participation rate^h (female/male pop. %)	28.0 / 64.5	28.4 / 63.1	28.9 / 63.0^c
CPI: Consumer Price Index (2010=100)	...	...	113^i,c
Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100)	86	100	109^b
International trade: exports (million current US$)	1 819	1 832	2 700^h,c
International trade: imports (million current US$)	1 708	3 703	3 937^h,c
International trade: balance (million current US$)	111	- 1 872	- 1 237^h,c
Balance of payments, current account (million US$)	...	-956	-831^b

Social indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Population growth rate^j (average annual %)	2.9	2.9	2.8^c
Urban population (% of total population)	46.6	51.1	54.5^b
Urban population growth rate^j (average annual %)	4.9	4.8	...
Fertility rate, total^j (live births per woman)	5.1	4.9	4.6^c
Life expectancy at birth^j (females/males, years)	63.7 / 60.1	65.0 / 61.4	66.2 / 63.0^c
Population age distribution (0-14/60+ years old, %)	41.2 / 4.8	40.5 / 4.9	39.5 / 5.2^a
International migrant stock^k,l (000/% of total pop.)	84.9 / 2.4	166.6 / 4.1	182.3 / 3.9^c
Refugees and others of concern to UNHCR (000)	27^m	77.3	91.8^c
Infant mortality rate^j (per 1 000 live births)	65.6	58.9	53.4^c
Health: Current expenditure (% of GDP)	3.4	4.7	4.6ⁿ
Health: Physicians (per 1 000 pop.)	0.2	0.2	0.2ⁿ
Education: Government expenditure (% of GDP)	2^o	2.3^p	1.9^b
Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	102.0 / 97.5	107.0 / 102.0	103.5 / 97.4^b
Education: Secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	19.1 / 22.4^h	30.3 / 32.5	40.4 / 38.4^b
Education: Upper secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	12.8 / 16.5^h	20.0 / 23.0	29.9 / 28.5^b
Seats held by women in national parliaments (%)	22.1	25.2	20.3^q

Environment and infrastructure indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Individuals using the Internet^h (per 100 inhabitants)	4	15.2	20.8^r
Research & Development expenditure (% of GDP)	...	...	~0.0^s,t,n
Threatened species (number)	58	69	111
Forested area (% of land area)	0.4	0.3	0.3ⁿ
Energy production, primary (Petajoules)	34	30^h	21ⁿ
Energy supply per capita (Gigajoules)	13	15^h	17ⁿ
Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%)	11.2	11.2	11.2^c
Net Official Development Assist. received (% of GNI)	6.72	5.5	5.29^b

Footnotes

a		Projected estimate (medium fertility variant).
b		2019
c		2020
d		Excludes irrigation canals and landscaping care.
e		Excludes publishing activities.
f		Includes irrigation canals.
g		Excludes repair of personal and household goods.
h		Estimate.
i		Index base: 2014=100.
j		Data refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year.
k		Including refugees.
l		Refers to foreign citizens.
m		Data as at the end of December.
n		2018
o		2006
p		2013
q		Data are as at 1 January of reporting year.
r		2017
s		Partial data.
t		Higher Education only.