Military personnel in Mauritania
Mauritania: Military personnel was 16,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
16,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
105th
of 194 countries
All-time high
17,000 people
in 1977
All-time low
0 people
in 1960
Years of data
63
1960–2022
Military personnel in Mauritania, 1960–2022
Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military personnel in Mauritania is 16,000 people, measured in 2022.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Mauritania peaked at 17,000 people in 1977 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1960.
That places Mauritania 105th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military personnel in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 people | — |
| 1961 | 0 people | — |
| 1962 | 0 people | — |
| 1963 | 0 people | — |
| 1964 | 2,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 3,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1970 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 15,000 people | +400.0% |
| 1977 | 17,000 people | +13.3% |
| 1978 | 12,000 people | -29.4% |
| 1979 | 8,000 people | -33.3% |
| 1980 | 8,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 12,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1982 | 16,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1983 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 14,000 people | -12.5% |
| 1989 | 16,000 people | +14.3% |
| 1990 | 17,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 16,000 people | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 16,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15,500 people, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 16,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,300 people | 0 people | 3,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 7,000 people | 3,000 people | 17,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 14,600 people | 8,000 people | 16,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 16,200 people | 16,000 people | 17,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More reference data data for Mauritania
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0975 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0216 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.327 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1337 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 14.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.99 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1178 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Mauritania?
- Military personnel in Mauritania was 16,000 people in 2022, according to Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 17,000 people in 1977.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1960.
- How does Mauritania rank for military personnel?
- Mauritania ranks 105th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.