Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 7.4 times more doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 87.5% more access to essential health services
Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
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 Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 58.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 3.0 times more money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 98.7% 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 49.1% more likely to be literate
In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 99.9% as of 2022.
have 38.6% fewer children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Turkmenistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 29.3% 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 Turkmenistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 44.7% less likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 43.6% less on education
Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 26.7% more on healthcare
Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
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 Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.5 times more home broadband
Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 10.2 times more strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Mauritania, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 11.2 times more CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021–2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mauritania vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.