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Mauritania vs South Africa: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 161 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Mauritania
mrt
Leads on 55 of 161 metrics
South Africa
zaf
Leads on 98 of 161 metrics

Summary

South Africa has 12.0 times as many people as Mauritania (65.49 million vs 5.46 million). South Africa's economy is 34.1 times the size of Mauritania's ($424.75 billion vs $12.45 billion GDP).

Comparing Mauritania and South Africa: Mauritania leads on Radios (410,000) against South Africa (17); Mauritania leads on Televisions (98,000) against South Africa (6); Mauritania leads on Electricity Installed Capacity (558,000) against South Africa (50.02). Across 161 compared metrics, Mauritania wins on 55 and South Africa wins on 98.

  • Communications: 9 metrics compared
  • Economy: 57 metrics compared
  • Environment: 12 metrics compared
  • Geography: 7 metrics compared
  • Government: 9 metrics compared
  • Health: 20 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
  • People and Society: 39 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 4 metrics compared
  • Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared

Communications

9 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Fixed Broadband Penetration0.95 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants5.35 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★
Internet Penetration Rate (%)45.78 %78.36 %★
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)37.38 %75.66 %★
Internet Userspercent of population: 37% (2023 est.)percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)
Mobile Internet Speed0.95 Mbps5.35 Mbps★
Press Freedom Index Score67.52 points75.71 points★
Radios410,000★17
Televisions98,000★6
Waterwaysnote: ferry traffic on the Senegal RiverNA

Economy

57 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country2.23B $14.21B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars12.45B $424.75B $★
AI Investment (% of GDP)43.08 %★14.07 %
Apple Import Volume9.70M tonnes★48,832 tonnes
Bank Account Ownership Rate27.31 %81.13 %★
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)9 %★5.75 %
Coal Revenue02.4★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)17 %★10.38 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)4.6 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index92.2★59.6
Electricity Consumption1.06207.1★
Electricity Exports016.55★
Electricity from Fossil Fuels6585★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants16★1
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels04★
Electricity from Other Renewables20★10
Electricity Imports010.56★
Electricity Installed Capacity558,000★50.02
Electricity Production1.14234.5★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)14.14 USD per capita86.2 USD per capita★
Female Labor Force Participation Rate27.13 %55.4 %★
Gini Index Coefficient3263★
Gross Fixed Investment28.6★19.6
Gross National Saving24.2★16.1
Highest GDP per Capita Countries6,559.04 USD13,592.05 USD★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)2.8 %★-0.4 %
Inflation Rate1.55 %★3.21 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)2.5 %★4.4 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)2.4 % of GDP★0.7 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption05.07★
Natural Gas Exports00
Natural Gas Imports04.16★
Natural Gas Production0906.1★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves28.32★0
Oil Consumption20,000553,000★
Oil Exports10,00054,930★
Oil Imports17,750521,400★
Oil Production11,640192,100★
Oil Proved Reserves100★15
Population Below Poverty Line31.8 people★55.5 people
Public Debt10076.2★
R&D Expenditure (% of GDP)0.01 %0.69 %★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)5.2 USD★0.6 USD
Real Interest Rate Trends15.18 %★4.65 %
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption17,000621,000★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports0105,600★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports17,290195,200★
Refined Petroleum Products Production0487,100★
Remittances1.6★0.2
Robotics Research Funding0.01 USD0.69 USD★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)11.71★31.21
Taxes and Other Revenues27.4★26.11
Top Exporting Countries4.52B USD127.53B USD★
Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP)13.24 %★0.58 %
Unemployment Rate10.4 %★33.2 %
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate40.77 %★55.58 %
Youth Unemployment Rate22.92 %★59.93 %

Environment

12 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)201,781★3.23M
Annual Forest Area Change Rate2,630.01 %87,566.02 %★
Average Annual Temperature28.22 °C★18.35 °C
Carbon Dioxide Emissions4.86★446.7
Continental Shelfedge of continental margin or 200 nm;200
Global Precipitation Distribution55.55 mm652.17 mm★
Population Distributionvast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are desert and lack sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern bthe population is concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west, as shown in this population distribution map
Protected Land Area for Adaptation0.6 sq km9.88 sq km★
Protected Land Area Percentage0.6 %9.6 %★
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country0.3 Cubic meters per year4.8 Cubic meters per year★
Total Renewable Water Resources11.451.35★
Total Threatened Mammal Species18 species★33 species

Geography

7 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization0.1 %1.94 %★
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)53.1185.66★
Agricultural land397,100 sq. km963,410 sq. km★
Airports per 1,000 Sq Km1.03M1.21M★
Coastline Length (km)754 km2,798 km★
Dam capacity per capita89.75 cubic meters per inhabitant464.7 cubic meters per inhabitant★
Irrigated Land45016,700★

Government

9 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country23.85 %61.59 %★
Administrative Divisions15★9
Corruption Perception Index30 index★41 index
Corruption Perceptions Index Score30 index41 index★
Independence2831★
LGBT Rights Index Score-1.6310.94★
Prison Population Rate47 per 100,000★259 per 100,000
Public Sector Corruption Perception30★41
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

20 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Average BMI for Adults23.2 kg/m²25 kg/m²★
Change in Measles Immunization Rate93 %★76 %
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)5.27.2★
Female Life Expectancy Leaders68.71 years★66.31 years
Global Stillbirth Rate Trends1.69 per 1,000 births★1.87 per 1,000 births
Health Care Spending per Capita427.68 USD1,541.18 USD★
Health Coverage Index Score40 score74 score★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)4.1 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
Highest Male Life Expectancy68.71 years★66.31 years
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.3 %★18.3 %
Hospital Bed Density0.4 people/sq km2.8 people/sq km★
Malaria Incidence Rate69.55 cases per 1,0000.11 cases per 1,000★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)381 %118 %★
Mean Age at First Birth21.922.5★
Nurses and Midwives Density1.61 per 1,000 people6.39 per 1,000 people★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)12.7 %★28.3 %
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending43.77 %6.69 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDS8,5007.8★
Total Number of Doctors0.260.79★
Underweight Children Under 522.44.9★

Military and Security

3 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Active Military Personnel16,000 personnel74,000 personnel★
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)2.75 %0.74 %★
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)21,00089,000★

People and Society

39 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Currently married (Percent)65.81 %★33.25 %
Human Capital Index0.410.42★
Life expectancy at birth71.73 years71.98 years★
Median age of population17.5 years29 years★
Population Change150,001.8 persons673,269.7 persons★
Population density5.3 per sq. km★53.74 per sq. km
Total population5.46M persons65.49M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.250.83★
Beer Consumption per Capita0 liters3.65 liters★
Birth Rate (%)34.01 %★17.21 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate11.5 %54.6 %★
Crude Birth Rate34.03 per 1,000 people★18.48 per 1,000 people
Death Rate (%)5.18 %★6.56 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)4.7 % of GDP6 % of GDP★
Female population of reproductive age1.33M persons18.20M persons★
Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)4.36 %27.59 %★
Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate0.95 %5.35 %★
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth102.66 male/female103.52 male/female★
Human Development Index0.240.48★
Labor Force Participation Rate1.2127.77★
Learning-adjusted years of school5.78 years★4.88 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population1.49 people10.32 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)163.28166.68★
Mean Years of Schooling5.55 years10.47 years★
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Old-Age Dependency Ratio5.98 %★9.65 %
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization61.34 %79.63 %★
Physician Density0.26 people/sq km0.79 people/sq km★
Population Growth Rate2.88 %★1.06 %
Population living in slums54.82 %★23.64 %
Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio35.8130.33★
Total deaths27,491.2 persons★540,582.7 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)32.5 %62.02 %★
Total fertility rate4.48 per woman★2.17 per woman
Total net-migration-4,234.6 persons39,599.6 persons★
Under-five mortality rate34.03 per live births28.89 per live births★
Urban Population Annual Growth Rate4.22 %★1.34 %
Voting Age Population42.79 millions★39.64 millions

Transportation

4 metrics
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.040.37★
Airports25573★
Civil Air Travel390★
Heliports349★

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇲🇷 Mauritania🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita5.40M USD5.96B USD★

Frequently Asked Questions About Mauritania vs South Africa

Which has a larger population, Mauritania or South Africa?▾

South Africa. South Africa has 12.0 times as many people as Mauritania (65.49 million vs 5.46 million). Data for 2026.

Which has a bigger economy, Mauritania or South Africa?▾

South Africa. South Africa's economy is 34.1 times the size of Mauritania's ($424.75 billion vs $12.45 billion GDP). Data for 2026.

Which is richer per person, Mauritania or South Africa?▾

South Africa is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $6,486 in South Africa vs $2,281 in Mauritania (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).

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