Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
see 4.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 3.0 times more doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 77.5% more access to essential health services
Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mauritania, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 2.4 years less
In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 31.9% more likely to be obese
In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 8.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.0 times more money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 19.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 69.0% 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 36.0% more likely to be literate
In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 19.9% 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 45.7% fewer children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 74.4% 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 South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 71.2% more likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 16.7% 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 South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 20.9% less on education
Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 3.7 times more coastline
Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 43.7 times more likely to be murdered
Mauritania has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.6 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 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. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 5.1 times more strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 24.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mauritania, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.1 times more CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mauritania vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.