People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Mauritania
Mauritania: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 508,969 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved 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 people.
Analysis
Mauritania recorded 508,969 people for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.1% on the previous year and down 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Mauritania peaked at 987,481 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 508,969 people, in 2024.
Mauritania ranks 63rd of 178 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 in rural areas not using an improved water source in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 987,481 people | — |
| 2001 | 978,001 people | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 960,013 people | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 942,100 people | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 924,077 people | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 906,080 people | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 888,122 people | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 870,261 people | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 853,969 people | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 839,033 people | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 823,685 people | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 807,827 people | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 791,166 people | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 772,588 people | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 752,315 people | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 731,306 people | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 709,576 people | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 687,080 people | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 663,835 people | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 639,795 people | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 614,919 people | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 589,203 people | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 563,123 people | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 536,582 people | -4.7% |
| 2024 | 508,969 people | -5.1% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 508,969 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 796,634 people, 64% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 508,969 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.93 million people, 26% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 914,914 people | 839,033 people | 987,481 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 737,917 people | 639,795 people | 823,685 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 562,559 people | 508,969 people | 614,919 people | 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 people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Mauritania?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Mauritania was 508,969 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 in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 987,481 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 508,969 people in 2024.
- How does Mauritania rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Mauritania ranks 63rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.3%. 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 in rural areas not using an improved 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
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.