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

Health

live 0.9 years longer

In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 98.4% more spent on your healthcare

Pakistan spends $152 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mauritania spends $302 as of 2023.

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be 52.0% less likely to die by suicide

Pakistan has a suicide rate of 5.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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have 77.5% fewer doctors per person

Pakistan has 11.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Mauritania has 2.6 as of 2022.

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have 11.1% less access to essential health services

Pakistan scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mauritania scores 40 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 37.7% more money

Pakistan has a GDP per capita of $1,596 as of 2025, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $2,198 as of 2025.

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be 90.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Pakistan, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mauritania, that number is 10.3% as of 2025.

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Life

be 13.8% more likely to be literate

In Pakistan, the literacy rate is 58.9% as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.

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be 37.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Pakistan, approximately 48.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Mauritania, on the other hand, 30.2 children do as of 2024.

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have 24.2% more children

In Pakistan, there are approximately 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritania, there are 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Pakistan, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Mauritania, 381.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 47.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Pakistan, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 50% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 20.0% less likely to have internet access

In Pakistan, approximately 57.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mauritania, about 45.8% do as of 2024.

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be 14.8% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Pakistan, approximately 91% of people have access to drinking water (93% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 77% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 3.9 times more on education

Pakistan spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mauritania spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 72.2% more on healthcare

Pakistan spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 27.9% less coastline

Pakistan has a total of 1,046 km of coastline. In Mauritania, that number is 754 km.

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Safety

be 76.9% less likely to be murdered

Pakistan has a homicide rate of 4.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 20.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Pakistan, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mauritania, they kill 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 88.0% less strain on fresh water

Pakistan withdraws 110% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mauritania withdraws 13% as of 2022.

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find 35.4% less home broadband

Pakistan has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mauritania has 0.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 41.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Pakistan, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mauritania, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.

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emit 19.8% more CO2

Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Mauritania: At a glance

Mauritania is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,030,700 sq km. Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976 but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for more than two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and white and black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities, and confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
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How big is Mauritania compared to Pakistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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