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

Health

live 13.1 years longer

In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 10.5% less likely to be obese

In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 21.6% of people as of 2024.

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see 15.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cyprus spends $4,538 as of 2023.

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have 13.6 times more doctors per person

Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cyprus has 35.6 as of 2022.

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have 2.0 times more access to essential health services

Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cyprus scores 81 as of 2021.

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be 11.4% more likely to die by suicide

Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cyprus, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 52.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cyprus, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.

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be 56.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Cyprus, however, that number is 13.9% as of 2021.

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make 19.0 times more money

Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $41,783 as of 2025.

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Life

be 96.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mauritania, approximately 381.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cyprus, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 48.4% more likely to be literate

In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Cyprus, it is 99.4% as of 2021.

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be 86.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Mauritania, approximately 30.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Cyprus, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 69.1% fewer children

In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cyprus, there are 10.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 98.8% more likely to have access to electricity

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

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be 95.7% more likely to have internet access

In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cyprus, about 89.6% do as of 2024.

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be 29.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Mauritania, approximately 77% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 37.7% less on education

Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Cyprus spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 87.1% more on healthcare

Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 14.1% less coastline

Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Cyprus, that number is 648 km.

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Safety

be 18.0% less likely to be murdered

Mauritania has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Cyprus, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 58.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cyprus, they kill 3.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 39.5 times more home broadband

Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cyprus has 37.6 as of 2024.

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live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water

Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cyprus withdraws 30% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 74.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In Mauritania, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cyprus, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.6 times more CO2

Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cyprus emits 5.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Cyprus: At a glance

Cyprus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 9,241 sq km. A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.
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How big is Cyprus compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.

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