Total natural resource rents in Mauritania

Mauritania: Total natural resource rents was 11.4% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
11.4%
Change on year
up 369.5%
World rank
45th
of 211 countries
All-time high
38.4%
in 2008
All-time low
2.4%
in 2020
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Total natural resource rents in Mauritania, 1970–2021

010203040197019952021

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Mauritania recorded 11.4% for total natural resource rents in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 369.5% on the previous year and down 62.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in Mauritania peaked at 38.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2020.

Mauritania ranks 45th of 211 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 10.7% 7.4% 13.0% 10
1980s 15.3% 7.2% 21.9% 10
1990s 4.9% 3.3% 13.1% 10
2000s 16.7% 3.3% 38.4% 10
2010s 14.4% 2.6% 33.3% 10
2020s 6.9% 2.4% 11.4% 2

Countries ranked near Mauritania

  1. 42 Peru 12.7% compare
  2. 43 Venezuela 11.8% compare
  3. 44 Kyrgyzstan 11.5% compare
  4. 46 Somalia 11.2% compare
  5. 47 Guinea-Bissau 10.4% compare
  6. 48 Central African Republic 10.3% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Mauritania

All data for Mauritania →

Frequently asked questions

What is total natural resource rents in Mauritania?
Total natural resource rents in Mauritania was 11.4% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in Mauritania?
The highest recorded value was 38.4% in 2008.
What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in Mauritania?
The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2020.
How does Mauritania rank for total natural resource rents?
Mauritania ranks 45th out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in Mauritania?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Mauritania data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Total natural resource rents
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 9,209 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.