Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mali instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
be 44.8% less likely to be obese
In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 13.3% of people as of 2024.
live 8.0 years less
In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
see 65.6% less spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mali spends $104 as of 2023.
have 28.0% fewer doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Mali has 1.9 as of 2023.
be 53.5% more likely to die by suicide
Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mali, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 72.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mali, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 43.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Mali, however, that number is 45.5% as of 2021.
make 45.7% less money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $1,193 as of 2025.
Life
have 16.2% more children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mali, there are 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 46.8% less likely to be literate
In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Mali, it is 35.6% as of 2024.
be 57.3% more 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 Mali, on the other hand, 47.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.7% 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 Mali, that number is 86% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 19.6% less likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mali, about 36.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 45.1% less on education
Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Mali spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 12.2% less on healthcare
Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mali, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mali, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 39.6% less strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mali withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 18.9% less home broadband
Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mali has 0.8 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 69.1% less CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mali emits 0.3 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: Mauritania vs. Mali
Mali: At a glance
How big is Mali compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.