Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mauritania
Mauritania: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 4.08 million people in 2019. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mauritania, 1987–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2019, number of people living in extreme poverty in Mauritania stood at 4.08 million people. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is up 57.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Mauritania peaked at 4.08 million people in 2019 and was at its lowest, 887,425 people, in 1987.
That places Mauritania 96th out of 120 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 887,425 people | — |
| 1993 | 997,234 people | +12.4% |
| 1995 | 1.60 million people | +60.1% |
| 2000 | 1.83 million people | +14.9% |
| 2004 | 2.08 million people | +13.3% |
| 2008 | 2.59 million people | +24.4% |
| 2014 | 3.40 million people | +31.3% |
| 2019 | 4.08 million people | +20.1% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 4.08 million people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.39 million people, 28% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 4.08 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.66 million people, 38% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 887,425 people | 887,425 people | 887,425 people | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.30 million people | 997,234 people | 1.60 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.17 million people | 1.83 million people | 2.59 million people | 3 |
| 2010s | 3.74 million people | 3.40 million people | 4.08 million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More poverty & inequality data for Mauritania
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.7 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,537 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -15.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 12.58 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Mauritania?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mauritania was 4.08 million people in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 4.08 million people in 2019.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 887,425 people in 1987.
- How does Mauritania rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Mauritania ranks 96th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.