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

Health

see 8.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nauru spends $2,474 as of 2023.

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have 50.0% more access to essential health services

Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nauru scores 60 as of 2021.

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live 6.4 years less

In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 3.0 times more likely to be obese

In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 71.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 6.7 times more money

Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Nauru, the GDP per capita is $14,640 as of 2025.

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Life

be 28.3% 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 Nauru, 273.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 44.2% more likely to be literate

In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Nauru, it is 96.6% as of 2023.

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be 74.5% 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 Nauru, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 27.8% fewer children

In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nauru, there are 24.6 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 Nauru, 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 81.3% more likely to have internet access

In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nauru, about 83.0% do as of 2024.

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be 26.6% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Mauritania, approximately 77% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Nauru, 98% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 24.0% less on education

Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Nauru spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 4.2 times more on healthcare

Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nauru, that number is 18.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 96.0% less coastline

Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Nauru, that number is 30 km.

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Safety

be 15.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nauru, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 10.5 times more home broadband

Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nauru has 10.0 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Nauru: At a glance

Nauru is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 21 sq km. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
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How big is Nauru compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.

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