Mauritania

All demographic indicators on this page are based on UN mid 2025 estimates unless stated otherwise.

Mauritania population (live estimate)

Real-time estimate based on UN demographic growth models.

5,315,000

Annual growth: 2.739%.

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Official population estimates

World population
5,315,000
Median age
17.4
Population growth rate (%)
2.739 ▲ Population is growing

This map shows first-level administrative regions (ADM1).

Key Facts

  • Capital: Nouakchott
  • Official language: Arabic
  • Region: Western Africa
  • Continent: Africa

Languages

A brief overview of the linguistic situation in the country.

Official language
Arabic
Minority language
5
Working / administrative language
2

Mauritania’s linguistic landscape includes Arabic (official), Hassaniya Arabic (widely spoken), and a range of Indigenous languages such as Pulaar, Soninke, and Wolof. French remains influential in administration and education.

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Religions

A brief overview of the religious composition of the country.

Dominant religion
Islam
Largest share
99.2%
Number of religions
7

Population distribution follows ecological lines: Arabophone groups dominate the north and central regions, while Niger River communities use Pulaar, Soninke, and Wolof. Urban migration increases multilingual contact.

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Cities

A brief overview of the major cities and urban structure of the country.

Largest city
Nouakchott
Number of cities
6

The cities shown here represent major urban centres with populations over 50,000, as defined by the UN Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA) methodology. Smaller towns and rural settlements are not included.

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