Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mauritania instead of Mali, you would:
Health
live 8.0 years longer
In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Mali spends $104 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mauritania spends $302 as of 2023.
have 38.8% more doctors per person
Mali has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Mauritania has 2.6 as of 2022.
be 34.9% less likely to die by suicide
Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 81.3% more likely to be obese
In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 30.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mali, 45.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Mauritania, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2019.
make 84.2% more money
Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $2,198 as of 2025.
be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mali, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mauritania, that number is 10.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 88.0% more likely to be literate
In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2024. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.
be 36.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Mali, approximately 47.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Mauritania, on the other hand, 30.2 children do as of 2024.
have 13.9% fewer children
In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritania, there are 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 24.4% more likely to have internet access
In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mauritania, about 45.8% do as of 2024.
be 10.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Mali, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 77% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 82.1% more on education
Mali spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mauritania spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 13.9% more on healthcare
Mali spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 53.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Mali, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mauritania, they kill 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 23.4% more home broadband
Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Mauritania has 0.9 as of 2024.
live with 65.6% more strain on fresh water
Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mauritania withdraws 13% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 3.2 times more CO2
Mali emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mali vs. Mauritania
Mauritania: At a glance
How big is Mauritania compared to Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.