Water withdrawals per capita in Mauritania
Mauritania: Water withdrawals per capita was 268.83 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
268.83 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
96th
of 180 countries
All-time high
956.51 cubic meters per person
in 1985
All-time low
268.83 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Mauritania, 1980–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
In 2023, water withdrawals per capita in Mauritania stood at 268.83 cubic meters per person. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.
The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Mauritania peaked at 956.51 cubic meters per person in 1985 and was at its lowest, 268.83 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
Mauritania ranks 96th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 495.24 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 599.66 cubic meters per person | +21.1% |
| 1982 | 697.7 cubic meters per person | +16.3% |
| 1983 | 789.7 cubic meters per person | +13.2% |
| 1984 | 875.89 cubic meters per person | +10.9% |
| 1985 | 956.51 cubic meters per person | +9.2% |
| 1986 | 928.33 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 1987 | 900.99 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 1988 | 874.37 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 851.74 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 829.52 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 804.74 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 773.67 cubic meters per person | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 742.18 cubic meters per person | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 716.6 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 696.43 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 682.03 cubic meters per person | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 666.27 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 648.49 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 630.68 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 612.68 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 573.83 cubic meters per person | -6.3% |
| 2002 | 537.89 cubic meters per person | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 502.87 cubic meters per person | -6.5% |
| 2004 | 468.86 cubic meters per person | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 459.4 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 448.03 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 436.53 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 424.15 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 411.09 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 398.18 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 385.46 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 373.08 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 361.56 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 350.84 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 340.45 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 330.39 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 320.67 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 311.27 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 302.21 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 293.51 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 285.16 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 276.93 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 268.83 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 268.83 cubic meters per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 178.62 cubic meters per person, 1.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 268.83 cubic meters per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 4.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 797.01 cubic meters per person | 495.24 cubic meters per person | 956.51 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 719.06 cubic meters per person | 630.68 cubic meters per person | 829.52 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 487.53 cubic meters per person | 411.09 cubic meters per person | 612.68 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 347.41 cubic meters per person | 302.21 cubic meters per person | 398.18 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 281.11 cubic meters per person | 268.83 cubic meters per person | 293.51 cubic meters per person | 4 |
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 water withdrawals per capita in Mauritania?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Mauritania was 268.83 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 956.51 cubic meters per person in 1985.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 268.83 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Mauritania rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Mauritania ranks 96th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.