Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Mauritania instead of Aruba, you would:

Health

live 7.8 years less

In Aruba, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 94.3% less money

Aruba has a GDP per capita of $38,591 as of 2024, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $2,198 as of 2025.

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Life

have 4.5 times more children

In Aruba, there are approximately 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritania, there are 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 31.5% less likely to be literate

In Aruba, the literacy rate is 97.8% as of 2018. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.

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be 2.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Aruba, approximately 12.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Mauritania, on the other hand, 30.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 49.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Aruba, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 50% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 52.8% less likely to have internet access

In Aruba, approximately 97.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Mauritania, about 45.8% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.1 times more on education

Aruba spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Mauritania spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Geography

see 11.0 times more coastline

Aruba has a total of 68 km of coastline. In Mauritania, that number is 754 km.

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Infrastructure

find 94.6% less home broadband

Aruba has 17.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Mauritania has 0.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 81.2% less CO2

Aruba emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2018–2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Aruba vs. Mauritania

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Mauritania is 63.9% cheaper than Aruba overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Aruba is about 5,726 times smaller than Mauritania.
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Moving from Aruba to Mauritania · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Mauritania: At a glance

Mauritania is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,030,700 sq km. Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976 but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for more than two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and white and black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities, and confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
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How big is Mauritania compared to Aruba? See an in-depth size comparison.

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