Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 77.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source 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 %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Mauritania stood at 77.3%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Mauritania peaked at 77.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 41.4%, in 2000.
Mauritania ranks 197th of 231 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 41.4% | — |
| 2001 | 42.3% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 43.8% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 45.3% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 46.8% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 48.4% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 49.9% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 51.4% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 53.0% | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 54.5% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 56.1% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 57.6% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 59.2% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 60.8% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 62.3% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 63.9% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 65.5% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 67.1% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 68.6% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 70.2% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 71.7% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 73.3% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 74.9% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 76.4% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 77.3% | +1.1% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 77.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 85.4%, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 77.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.7% | 41.4% | 54.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.1% | 56.1% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.7% | 71.7% | 77.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Mauritania?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Mauritania was 77.3% 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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 77.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.4% in 2000.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Mauritania ranks 197th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source. 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
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.