Sanitation facilities usage in Mauritania
Mauritania: Sanitation facilities usage was 836,671 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in Mauritania, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Mauritania recorded 836,671 people for sanitation facilities usage in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Mauritania peaked at 1.54 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 836,671 people, in 2024.
Mauritania ranks 42nd of 232 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.54 million people | — |
| 2001 | 1.53 million people | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 1.51 million people | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.49 million people | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 1.47 million people | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 1.45 million people | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 1.43 million people | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 1.41 million people | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 1.39 million people | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 1.37 million people | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 1.35 million people | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 1.33 million people | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 1.31 million people | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 1.28 million people | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 1.26 million people | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 1.22 million people | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 1.19 million people | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 1.15 million people | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 1.12 million people | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 1.08 million people | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 1.03 million people | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 987,728 people | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 939,978 people | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 889,994 people | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 836,671 people | -6.0% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 836,671 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 585,262 people, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 836,671 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.31 million people, 64% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.46 million people | 1.37 million people | 1.54 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.23 million people | 1.08 million people | 1.35 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 937,572 people | 836,671 people | 1.03 million people | 5 |
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 sanitation facilities usage in Mauritania?
- Sanitation facilities usage in Mauritania was 836,671 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 sanitation facilities usage recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 1.54 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 836,671 people in 2024.
- How does Mauritania rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Mauritania ranks 42nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.3%. 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 Sanitation facilities usage. 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
Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.