Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Senegal instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
be 51.9% less likely to be obese
In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Senegal scores 50 as of 2021.
see 31.8% less spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Senegal spends $206 as of 2023.
have 58.2% fewer doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Senegal has 1.1 as of 2023.
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 Senegal, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 73.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Senegal, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
be 17.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Senegal, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2021.
make 11.0% less money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Senegal, the GDP per capita is $1,955 as of 2025.
Life
be 37.8% 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 Senegal, 237.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.8% less likely to be literate
In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Senegal, it is 50.4% as of 2023.
have 14.3% fewer children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Senegal, there are 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 47.5% 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 Senegal, that number is 74% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 31.3% more likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Senegal, about 60.1% do as of 2024.
be 13.9% 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 Senegal, that number is 88% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.1% less on education
Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Senegal spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 29.6% less coastline
Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Senegal, that number is 531 km.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Senegal, they kill 20.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.3 times more home broadband
Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Senegal has 4.0 as of 2024.
live with 22.9% more strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Senegal withdraws 16% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 20.6% less CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mauritania vs. Senegal
Senegal: At a glance
How big is Senegal compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.