Land use in Mauritania
Mauritania: Land use was 460,000 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
460,000 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
132nd
of 224 countries
All-time high
460,000 hectares
in 1994
All-time low
196,000 hectares
in 1975
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Mauritania, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land use in Mauritania is 460,000 hectares, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Mauritania peaked at 460,000 hectares in 1994 and was at its lowest, 196,000 hectares, in 1975.
Mauritania ranks 132nd of 224 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 272,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 272,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 273,000 hectares | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 273,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 273,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 273,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 273,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 273,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 283,000 hectares | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 283,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 243,000 hectares | -14.1% |
| 1972 | 243,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 230,000 hectares | -5.3% |
| 1974 | 200,000 hectares | -13.0% |
| 1975 | 196,000 hectares | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 199,000 hectares | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 200,000 hectares | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 196,000 hectares | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 199,000 hectares | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 214,000 hectares | +7.5% |
| 1981 | 234,000 hectares | +9.3% |
| 1982 | 254,000 hectares | +8.5% |
| 1983 | 274,000 hectares | +7.9% |
| 1984 | 285,000 hectares | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 305,000 hectares | +7.0% |
| 1986 | 325,000 hectares | +6.6% |
| 1987 | 345,000 hectares | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 365,000 hectares | +5.8% |
| 1989 | 385,000 hectares | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 406,000 hectares | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 416,000 hectares | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 428,000 hectares | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 440,000 hectares | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 460,000 hectares | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 460,000 hectares | +0.0% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 460,000 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.82 million hectares, 16% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 460,000 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.21 million hectares, 14% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 273,889 hectares | 272,000 hectares | 283,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 218,900 hectares | 196,000 hectares | 283,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 298,600 hectares | 214,000 hectares | 385,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 445,000 hectares | 406,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 460,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 460,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 460,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 129 Costa Rica 544,348 hectares compare
- 130 Armenia 503,400 hectares compare
- 131 Gabon 495,000 hectares compare
- 133 North Macedonia 456,000 hectares compare
- 134 Gambia 447,000 hectares compare
- 135 Bosnia and Herzegovina 444,000 hectares compare
More environment data for Mauritania
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.465 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.85 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.4893 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0349 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Mauritania?
- Land use in Mauritania was 460,000 hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 460,000 hectares in 1994.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 196,000 hectares in 1975.
- How does Mauritania rank for land use?
- Mauritania ranks 132nd out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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