World Factbook

Mauritania

Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah

Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)

Budget

revenues

$1.617 billion (2019 est.)

expenditures

$1.407 billion (2019 est.)

Exports

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports 2021

$3.18 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$4.132 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$3.955 billion (2023 est.)

Imports

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports 2021

$4.312 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$5.77 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$5.271 billion (2023 est.)

Industries

fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)

note: gypsum deposits have never been exploited

Labor force

1.21 million (2024 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2016

100% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

36.691 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

37.189 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

36.063 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

36.935 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

36.489 (2023 est.)

Debt - external

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Debt - external 2023

$3.072 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

lower middle-income West African economy; primarily agrarian; rising urbanization; poor property rights; systemic corruption; endemic social and workforce tensions; wide-scale terrorism; foreign over-fishing; environmentally fragile

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

10.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

10.5% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

10.4% (2024 est.)

Exports - partners

China 25%, Switzerland 14%, Canada 12%, UAE 9%, Spain 7% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Imports - partners

China 19%, UAE 14%, Morocco 6%, Spain 6%, France 5% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$6,100 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$6,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$6,400 (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

6.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

5.2% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

rice, milk, goat milk, sorghum, sheep milk, lamb/mutton, beef, camel meat, camel milk, dates (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Exports - commodities

gold, iron ore, fish, processed crustaceans, copper ore (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, raw sugar, palm oil, wheat, soybean oil (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Current account balance

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Current account balance 2021

-$807.862 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.424 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$966.506 million (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$10.767 billion (2024 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

household consumption

55.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption

17.2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

18.9% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.5% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

38.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-53.2% (2023 est.)

Population below poverty line

31.8% (2019 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

9.5% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.5% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2024 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$29.514 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$31.434 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$33.069 billion (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

male

19.9% (2024 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

23.2% (2024 est.)

female

30.1% (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$1.029 billion (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$1.493 billion (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$2.039 billion (2021 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

industry

30.6% (2024 est.)

services

43.2% (2024 est.)

agriculture

18.6% (2024 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

lowest 10%

3.1% (2019 est.)

highest 10%

24.6% (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

32 (2019 est.)