People not using improved drinking water sources in Mauritania
Mauritania: People not using improved drinking water sources was 536,985 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources in Mauritania, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, people not using improved drinking water sources in Mauritania stood at 536,985 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.8% on the previous year and down 34.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Mauritania peaked at 1.05 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 536,985 people, in 2024.
Mauritania ranks 68th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.05 million people | — |
| 2001 | 1.04 million people | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 1.02 million people | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 1.01 million people | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 989,411 people | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 971,604 people | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 953,746 people | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 935,891 people | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 919,619 people | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 904,679 people | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 889,166 people | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 872,959 people | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 855,718 people | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 836,211 people | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 814,636 people | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 792,005 people | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 768,310 people | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 743,486 people | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 717,526 people | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 690,359 people | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 661,915 people | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 632,171 people | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 601,612 people | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 570,109 people | -5.2% |
| 2024 | 536,985 people | -5.8% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 536,985 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 59% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 536,985 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 27% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 980,072 people | 904,679 people | 1.05 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 798,038 people | 690,359 people | 889,166 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 600,558 people | 536,985 people | 661,915 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 65 Canada 679,492 people compare
- 66 Malaysia 605,505 people compare
- 67 Mexico 600,172 people compare
- 69 Guinea-Bissau 512,949 people compare
- 70 Equatorial Guinea 505,844 people compare
- 71 Uzbekistan 461,645 people 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 people not using improved drinking water sources in Mauritania?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Mauritania was 536,985 people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 1.05 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 536,985 people in 2024.
- How does Mauritania rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Mauritania ranks 68th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People not using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.