Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services was 58.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services 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
Mauritania recorded 58.8% for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 32.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Mauritania peaked at 58.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 26.2%, in 2000.
That places Mauritania 152nd out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 26.2% | — |
| 2001 | 27.3% | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 28.5% | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 29.7% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 31.0% | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 32.3% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 33.6% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 34.9% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 36.2% | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 37.5% | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 38.9% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 40.2% | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 41.6% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 43.0% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 44.4% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 45.8% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 47.2% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 48.7% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 50.1% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 51.6% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 53.1% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 54.6% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 56.1% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 57.6% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 58.8% | +2.1% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 58.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 75.4%, 78% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 58.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.5%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.7% | 26.2% | 37.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.2% | 38.9% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.0% | 53.1% | 58.8% | 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 the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Mauritania?
- Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Mauritania was 58.8% 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 the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 58.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.2% in 2000.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
- Mauritania ranks 152nd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.5%. 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 the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.