If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Mauritania, you would:

Health

be 49.4% less likely to be obese

In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 32.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Mauritania, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 2.7 years less

In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 30.8% less spent on your healthcare

Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.

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have 33.7% fewer doctors per person

Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.

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be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide

Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 14.4% more money

Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.

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be 92.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.

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Life

be 36.7% 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 Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 20.3% more likely to be literate

In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 80.6% as of 2021.

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be 10.6% 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 10.6% fewer children

In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 30.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 56.1% less on education

Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 24.0% less on healthcare

Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 77.6% less coastline

Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 169 km.

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Safety

be 11.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 33.7% more home broadband

Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.

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live with 99.8% less strain on fresh water

Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 38.1% more CO2

Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Republic of the Congo: At a glance

Republic of the Congo is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 341,500 sq km. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.
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How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.

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