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Life Expectancy in Mauritania

A baby born in Mauritania in 2024 can expect to live 68.7 years on average — 4.8 years less than the world average of 73.5.

Overall68.7years
Men66.7world: 71.1
Women70.7world: 76.0
World rank#164of 217
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Life expectancy in Mauritania since 1960

40506070801960197019801990200020102020
  • Women
  • Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Mauritania has risen by 25.1 years, from 43.6 to 68.7. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.8 years (from 67.6 in 2019 to 66.8 in 2020) and has since recovered. Women live 4.0 years longer than men (70.7 vs 66.7).

Expected age at death in Mauritania by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current ageBirth20406080
Men66.769.870.874.283.8
Women70.773.974.877.485.3

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Mauritania’s figures (method).

How people die in Mauritania

  • Chronic diseases: 46.5%
  • Infections, maternal & nutritional: 44.2%
  • Injuries: 9.3%

In 2019, 47% of deaths in Mauritania were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Mauritania man has a 16% chance and a woman 21% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 25.6 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Mauritania, about 36.9 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Mauritania compared with its region

Mauritania is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #8 of 48 countries there.

#CountryOverallMenWomen
4São Tomé and Príncipe69.966.473.9
5Botswana69.366.871.9
6Eritrea68.966.870.9
7Senegal68.967.071.0
8Mauritania68.766.770.7
9Gabon68.566.171.2
10Uganda68.565.571.4
11Rwanda68.065.770.1
12Ethiopia67.664.471.0

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Mauritania?

68.7 years in 2024: 66.7 for men and 70.7 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Mauritania?

Yes. Women in Mauritania live about 4.0 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Mauritania rank for life expectancy?

Mauritania ranks #164 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 4.8 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Mauritania?

Life expectancy at birth (68.7) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Mauritania can expect to live to about 70.8, and a 40-year-old woman to about 74.8.

Sources

  • World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.

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