Key facts about Mauritania
Mauritania has a population of about 5.3 million (2025), and its capital is Nouakchott.
In 2025, the population grew by 2.8%, and 61.5% of people lived in urban areas. The currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU), and the official languages are Arabic and French.
In Mauritania, standard time is UTC+00:00, traffic drives on the right and the international calling code is +222.
Mauritania's gross domestic product (GDP) was $11.7 billion in 2025, or $2,198 per person. It exported $4.7 billion and imported $6.3 billion of goods and services in 2025, so trade equaled 94% of GDP.
| Capital | Nouakchott |
|---|---|
| Population (2025) | 5,315,065 |
| Land area (2024) | 1,030,700 km² (397,955 sq mi) |
| Currency | Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU) |
| Official languages | Arabic, French |
| Time zone (standard) | UTC+00:00 |
| Calling code | +222 |
| Internet domain | .mr |
| Drives on the | right |
| GDP (2025) | $11.7 billion |
| GDP per person (2025) | $2,198 |
Mauritania's GDP grew from $6.4 billion in 2016 to $11.7 billion in 2025, while the population went from 4,086,657 to 5,315,065. The largest one-year rise was in 2023, up 11.8%. Divided by population, that is about $1,568 per person in 2016 and $2,198 in 2025.
Show the numbers
| Year | GDP (current US$) | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11.68 billion | 5,315,065 |
| 2024 | $10.88 billion | 5,169,395 |
| 2023 | $10.69 billion | 5,022,441 |
| 2022 | $9.562 billion | 4,875,637 |
| 2021 | $9.221 billion | 4,734,874 |
| 2020 | $8.261 billion | 4,600,131 |
| 2019 | $7.895 billion | 4,467,708 |
| 2018 | $7.475 billion | 4,337,685 |
| 2017 | $6.812 billion | 4,210,600 |
| 2016 | $6.408 billion | 4,086,657 |