Demographic features of the population of Mauritania () include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects.

Population

According to , the total population was in , compared to only 657 000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 39.9%, 57.4% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.7% was 65 years or older. Total population (x 1000)Population aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 1950 65743.854.81.4 1955 74443.654.71.6 1960 85444.353.81.8 1965 98445.252.82.0 19701 13445.852.12.2 19751 31245.851.92.3 19801 51845.651.92.4 19851 74845.352.22.5 19901 99644.952.52.6 19952 29244.053.42.7 20002 64342.754.62.7 20053 04741.256.12.7 20103 46039.957.42.7

Structure of the population

Structure of the population (Census 24.II.2013): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 1 743 074 1 794 294 3 537 368 100 0–4 316 217 298 475 614 692 17.38 5–9 263 263 256 839 520 102 14.70 10–14 212 838 216 667 429 505 12.14 15–19 176 116 185 288 361 404 10.22 20–24 144 478 157 962 302 440 8.55 25–29 121 586 135 767 257 353 7.28 30–34 99 834 113 691 213 525 6.04 35–39 83 578 95 379 178 957 5.06 40–44 72 108 79 228 151 336 4.28 45–49 60 297 64 516 124 813 3.53 50–54 50 739 51 751 102 490 2.90 55–59 41 075 40 645 81 720 2.31 60–64 31 660 30 459 62 119 1.76 65–69 24 120 23 055 47 175 1.33 70–74 18 167 17 129 35 296 1.00 75–79 12 670 12 231 24 901 0.70 80–84 8 080 8 584 16 664 0.47 85+ 6 248 6 628 12 876 0.36Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 792 318 771 981 1 564 299 44.22 15–64 881 471 954 686 1 836 157 51.91 65+ 69 285 67 627 136 912 3.87

Population by Age Group (Estimates 1.VII.2016) (Data refer to national projections.): Age groupTotal% Total 3 782 701 100 0–4 579 832 15.33 5–9 567 643 15.01 10–14 478 293 12.64 15–19 396 650 10.49 20–24 333 473 8.82 25–29 280 531 7.42 30–34 236 864 6.26 35–39 196 168 5.19 40–44 164 707 4.35 45–49 137 439 3.63 50–54 111 936 2.96 55–59 90 008 2.38 60–64 68 836 1.82 65–69 50 266 1.33 70–74 36 188 0.96 75–79 24 540 0.65 80+ 29 328 0.78Age groupTotalPercent 0–14 1 625 768 42.98 15–64 2 016 611 53.31 65+ 140 322 3.71

Vital statistics Registration of vital events in Mauritania is incomplete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.

Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 live births)Life expectancy (in years)1950 659,000 30,000 15,000 15,00045.223.022.26.12157.138.741951 673,000 31,000 15,000 15,00045.322.522.86.13155.039.291952 689,000 31,000 15,000 16,00045.222.123.16.13152.839.771953 705,000 32,000 15,000 16,00045.221.823.46.13150.740.211954 721,000 33,000 15,000 17,00045.321.423.96.16148.440.781955 739,000 34,000 16,000 18,00045.421.024.46.18146.141.411956 757,000 35,000 16,000 19,00045.620.724.96.21143.641.941957 776,000 36,000 16,000 20,00045.820.425.46.24141.142.501958 796,000 37,000 16,000 21,00046.020.026.06.28138.443.161959 816,000 38,000 16,000 22,00046.119.626.66.32135.743.881960 838,000 39,000 16,000 23,00046.319.027.36.35133.044.771961 862,000 40,000 16,000 24,00046.618.628.06.40130.145.441962 886,000 41,000 16,000 25,00046.618.328.36.43127.346.051963 911,000 43,000 16,000 26,00046.717.928.86.48124.546.691964 938,000 44,000 16,000 28,00046.817.429.46.53121.747.451965 966,000 45,000 16,000 29,00046.917.029.96.59118.948.061966 995,000 47,000 17,000 30,00047.016.630.36.64116.148.731967 1,025,000 48,000 17,000 31,00046.816.230.66.67113.349.371968 1,056,000 49,000 17,000 32,00046.515.830.76.68110.650.041969 1,089,000 50,000 17,000 34,00046.315.430.96.69108.450.631970 1,122,000 52,000 17,000 35,00046.015.130.86.69107.051.041971 1,156,000 53,000 17,000 36,00045.614.930.86.69106.251.391972 1,191,000 54,000 18,000 37,00045.514.730.76.70105.851.661973 1,227,000 56,000 18,000 38,00045.314.630.76.70105.451.901974 1,264,000 57,000 18,000 39,00045.114.430.76.70104.952.181975 1,302,000 59,000 18,000 40,00044.914.130.86.68104.052.651976 1,342,000 60,000 19,000 41,00044.713.930.86.67102.652.921977 1,381,000 62,000 19,000 43,00044.613.630.96.68100.753.371978 1,422,000 63,000 19,000 44,00044.313.331.06.6798.553.861979 1,464,000 64,000 19,000 45,00043.812.930.96.6596.254.471980 1,507,000 66,000 19,000 47,00043.812.631.26.6294.055.061981 1,552,000 68,000 19,000 49,00043.712.231.56.5891.855.661982 1,598,000 69,000 19,000 50,00043.311.831.56.5389.656.281983 1,646,000 71,000 19,000 52,00042.911.631.46.4887.256.681984 1,696,000 72,000 19,000 53,00042.511.231.26.4184.657.161985 1,746,000 73,000 19,000 54,00041.910.931.06.3481.857.581986 1,798,000 74,000 19,000 55,00041.410.630.76.2579.157.991987 1,851,000 76,000 19,000 57,00041.010.330.76.1676.558.581988 1,906,000 78,000 19,000 59,00040.710.030.76.1174.259.141989 1,955,000 80,000 19,000 61,00040.79.830.96.0872.659.321990 2,006,000 82,000 19,000 62,00040.69.631.06.0671.059.771991 2,066,000 84,000 20,000 64,00040.69.531.16.0470.159.941992 2,148,000 87,000 20,000 67,00040.69.431.36.0469.560.261993 2,237,000 93,000 21,000 72,00041.59.432.16.0469.160.381994 2,315,000 95,000 22,000 73,00040.99.431.65.9268.960.341995 2,380,000 97,000 22,000 75,00040.79.431.35.8568.960.261996 2,429,000 97,000 23,000 74,00039.69.430.25.7169.160.061997 2,484,000 97,000 23,000 74,00039.09.229.85.6668.960.451998 2,551,000 98,000 23,000 75,00038.49.129.45.5768.860.611999 2,621,000 100,000 24,000 77,00038.29.029.35.5468.760.822000 2,695,000 102,000 24,000 78,00037.88.928.95.4668.561.032001 2,762,000 104,000 24,000 80,00037.58.828.75.3868.261.192002 2,822,000 105,000 25,000 80,00037.08.728.35.2968.061.272003 2,883,000 106,000 25,000 81,00036.78.628.15.2367.761.352004 2,947,000 109,000 25,000 84,00036.88.528.25.1967.061.592005 3,012,000 112,000 26,000 86,00036.98.528.45.1966.361.662006 3,081,000 115,000 26,000 89,00037.18.430.25.1965.261.892007 3,154,000 117,000 26,000 91,00037.18.330.15.1564.162.232008 3,233,000 121,000 27,000 94,00037.28.229.05.1562.762.402009 3,323,000 123,000 27,000 95,00036.98.228.75.0861.362.802010 3,419,000 126,000 28,000 97,00036.88.328.45.0459.863.112011 3,524,000 129,000 30,000 99,00036.78.528.35.0358.563.352012 3,636,000 132,000 31,000 101,00036.48.627.84.9957.263.582013 3,743,000 134,000 32,000 102,00035.88.727.24.9455.863.912014 3,843,000 137,000 32,000 105,00035.58.327.24.8954.464.162015 3,946,000 139,000 32,000 107,00035.28.027.24.8153.064.492016 4,052,000 141,000 31,000 110,00034.87.727.14.7451.764.772017 4,160,000 143,000 31,000 112,00034.47.427.04.6650.365.082018 4,271,000 146,000 31,000 115,00034.27.226.94.6149.165.312019 4,384,000 148,000 31,000 117,00033.77.026.74.5247.865.692020 4,533,000 164,000 29,000 135,00035.76.429.34.9133.766.82021 4,667,000 167,000 30,000 138,00035.36.329.14.8532.766.82022 4,803,000 170,000 27,000 142,00034.85.629.24.7731.764.532023 4,948,000 173,000 28,000 145,00034.45.528.94.7030.868.5

Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):

Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 2000–2001 32.1 4.7 (4.3) 31.9 4.3 (3.9) 32.1 5.0 (4.7) 2003–2004 4.6 4.1 5.1 2019–2021 35.5 5.2 (4.5) 30.3 4.1 (3.6) 40.2 6.4 (5.5)

Fertility data as of 2010 (DHS Program): Zone Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49 Nouakchott 4.3 8.0 5.7 Sud-Est 5.0 10.4 5.2 Fleuve 5.1 8.5 6.0 Nord 4.6 7.1 6.5 Centre 4.0 6.7 6.1

Life expectancy PeriodLife expectancy in Years1950–195541.721955–1960 45.191960–1965 47.931965–1970 50.281970–1975 52.731975–1980 55.761980–1985 57.771985–1990 58.891990–1995 59.841995–2000 60.272000–2005 61.322005–2010 62.642010–2015 63.43

Religion

Official census figures identify 100% of Mauritanian citizens as Muslim.

In practice, approximately 99.2% of the population is Sunni Muslim following the Maliki school, with very small minorities, about 0.8%, made up of foreign residents practicing Christianity, Judaism, or other faiths.

Ethnic groups 40% Black Moors (Haratin),CIA WorldFackbook "Mauritania" (2023 estimates) (retrieved 7 March 2025) 30% White Moors (Beidane), and Sub-Saharan Mauritanians (non-Arabic speaking, largely resident in or originating from the Senegal River Valley, including Zenaga, Fula, Soninke, Wolof, Bambara, and Serer ethnic groups.

Languages Arabic, Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof are the four national languages of Mauritania while Arabic, particularly spoken in the Hassaniya Arabic dialect, remains the sole official language. Other languages, such as Serer and French are also spoken. French is widely used in media and among educated classes.

References

External links

Maures Mauritania - Country Profile Decomentry film A History of the Haratin