Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mauritania instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
see 46.7% more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mauritania spends $302 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Mauritania has 2.6 as of 2022.
be 59.9% less likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2024.
have 20.0% less access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mauritania scores 40 as of 2021.
Economy
be 15.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Mauritania, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2019.
make 12.4% more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $2,198 as of 2025.
be 3.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mauritania, that number is 10.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 33.0% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.
have 16.6% more children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritania, there are 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 60.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Mauritania, 381.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 32.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% 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.
be 23.9% less likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mauritania, about 45.8% do as of 2024.
be 12.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Senegal, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 81% 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.
Expenditures
spend 23.5% more on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mauritania spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 42.0% more coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In Mauritania, that number is 754 km.
Safety
be 54.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mauritania, they kill 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 18.6% less strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mauritania withdraws 13% as of 2022.
find 76.5% less home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mauritania has 0.9 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 26.0% more CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritania emits 1.0 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: Senegal vs. Mauritania
Mauritania: At a glance
How big is Mauritania compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.