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

Health

be 80.2% less likely to die by suicide

Poland has a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 9.7 years less

In Poland, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 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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be 10.5% more likely to be obese

In Poland, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2024.

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see 92.3% less spent on your healthcare

Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mauritania spends $302 as of 2023.

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have 93.5% fewer doctors per person

Poland has 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Mauritania has 2.6 as of 2022.

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have 51.2% less access to essential health services

Poland scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mauritania scores 40 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mauritania, that number is 10.3% as of 2025.

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make 92.3% less money

Poland has a GDP per capita of $28,420 as of 2025, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $2,198 as of 2025.

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Life

have 4.9 times more children

In Poland, there are approximately 6.9 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 190.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Poland, approximately 2.0 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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be 32.9% less likely to be literate

In Poland, the literacy rate is 99.8% as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.

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be 8.4 times more likely to die during infancy

In Poland, approximately 3.6 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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Basic Needs

be 49.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Poland, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 48.3% less likely to have internet access

In Poland, approximately 88.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mauritania, about 45.8% do as of 2024.

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be 14.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Poland, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 82% 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 46.2% less on healthcare

Poland spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 76.6% more on education

Poland spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Mauritania spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Geography

see 71.4% more coastline

Poland has a total of 440 km of coastline. In Mauritania, that number is 754 km.

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Safety

be 25.0% more likely to be murdered

Poland has a homicide rate of 0.8 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 46.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 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 59.2% less strain on fresh water

Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mauritania withdraws 13% as of 2022.

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find 96.3% less home broadband

Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mauritania has 0.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 87.2% less CO2

Poland emits 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 51.2% more likely to die from air pollution

In Poland, air pollution causes 41.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mauritania, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). 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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