People not using improved sanitation facilities in Mauritania

Mauritania: People not using improved sanitation facilities was 1.65 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1.65 million people
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
54th
of 232 countries
All-time high
1.96 million people
in 2001
All-time low
1.63 million people
in 2023
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People not using improved sanitation facilities in Mauritania, 2000–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2000201220242000: 2.0M people2001: 2.0M people2002: 2.0M people2003: 2.0M people2004: 1.9M people2005: 1.9M people2006: 1.9M people2007: 1.9M people2008: 1.9M people2009: 1.9M people2010: 1.9M people2011: 1.9M people2012: 1.9M people2013: 1.9M people2014: 1.9M people2015: 1.9M people2016: 1.9M people2017: 1.8M people2018: 1.8M people2019: 1.8M people2020: 1.8M people2021: 1.7M people2022: 1.7M people2023: 1.6M people2024: 1.7M people

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for people not using improved sanitation facilities in Mauritania is 1.65 million people, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people not using improved sanitation facilities in Mauritania peaked at 1.96 million people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1.63 million people, in 2023.

That places Mauritania 54th out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.95 million people 1.93 million people 1.96 million people 10
2010s 1.88 million people 1.79 million people 1.93 million people 10
2020s 1.68 million people 1.63 million people 1.75 million people 5

Countries ranked near Mauritania

  1. 51 Eritrea 2.45 million people compare
  2. 52 Egypt 2.10 million people compare
  3. 53 Romania 1.75 million people compare
  4. 55 Algeria 1.54 million people compare
  5. 56 Bolivia 1.50 million people compare
  6. 57 Colombia 1.46 million people compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Mauritania

All data for Mauritania →

Frequently asked questions

What is people not using improved sanitation facilities in Mauritania?
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Mauritania was 1.65 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Mauritania?
The highest recorded value was 1.96 million people in 2001.
What is the lowest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Mauritania?
The lowest recorded value was 1.63 million people in 2023.
How does Mauritania rank for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
Mauritania ranks 54th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is people not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Mauritania?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Mauritania data come from?
The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
People not using improved sanitation facilities
Unit
people
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,597 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.