Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities was 17.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Mauritania, 2009–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Mauritania stood at 17.0%. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 56.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Mauritania peaked at 41.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 17.0%, in 2023.
Mauritania ranks 91st of 113 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 41.2% | — |
| 2010 | 41.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 41.2% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 41.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 41.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 38.8% | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 36.3% | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 33.9% | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 31.5% | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 29.1% | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 26.7% | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 24.2% | -9.1% |
| 2021 | 21.8% | -10.0% |
| 2022 | 19.4% | -11.1% |
| 2023 | 17.0% | -12.5% |
| 2024 | 17.0% | +0.0% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 17.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 32.2%, 53% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 17.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 17.7%, 96% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 41.2% | 41.2% | 41.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 36.1% | 26.7% | 41.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.9% | 17.0% | 24.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 88 Angola 19.1% compare
- 89 South Sudan 18.4% compare
- 90 Lesotho 17.7% compare
- 92 Sierra Leone 16.7% compare
- 93 Rwanda 16.0% compare
- 94 Guinea-Bissau 15.7% compare
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 share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Mauritania?
- Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Mauritania was 17.0% 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 share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 41.2% in 2009.
- What is the lowest share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.0% in 2023.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities?
- Mauritania ranks 91st out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.2%. 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 Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Proportion of people with access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.