Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Guatemala instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
live 4.0 years longer
In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guatemala spends $935 as of 2023.
have 4.9 times more doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Guatemala has 12.8 as of 2020.
have 47.5% more access to essential health services
Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guatemala scores 59 as of 2021.
be 16.1% more likely to be obese
In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
be 82.3% more likely to die by suicide
Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 74.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guatemala, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 3.0 times more money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
be 75.3% 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 Guatemala, 94.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.6% more likely to be literate
In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 82.1% as of 2024.
be 43.0% 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 Guatemala, on the other hand, 17.2 children do as of 2024.
have 39.4% fewer children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Guatemala, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 31.5% more likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.
be 20.6% 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 Guatemala, that number is 93% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 59.5% less on education
Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 56.7% more on healthcare
Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 46.9% less coastline
Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.
Safety
be 23.4 times more likely to be murdered
Mauritania has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 32.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guatemala, they kill 12.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.6 times more home broadband
Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guatemala has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 56.7% less strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guatemala withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 35.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mauritania, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guatemala, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.4% more CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mauritania vs. Guatemala
Guatemala: At a glance
How big is Guatemala compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.