Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne), Islamic Republic of Mauritania Air Group (Groupement Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, GAIM); Gendarmerie (Ministry of Defense); National Guard (Ministry of Interior) (2021)
Algerian People's National Army (ANP): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes coast guard), Air Forces, Territorial Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard (under ANP, but responsible to the President), National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 19-30 years of age for compulsory service; conscript service obligation reduced from 18 to 12 months in 2014 (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.8% of GDP (2019 est.)
3% of GDP (2018)
2.9% of GDP (2017)
2.9% of GDP (2016)
2.8% of GDP (2015)
6% of GDP (2019)
5.5% of GDP (2018)
5.8% of GDP (2017)
6.6% of GDP (2016)
6.3% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Mauritanian Armed Forces have approximately 16,000 active personnel (15,000 Army; 700 Navy; 300 Air Force); est. 3,000 Gendarmerie; est. 2,000 National Guard (2021)
the Algerian People's National Army (ANP) has approximately 130,000 total active personnel (110,000 Army; 6,000 Navy; 14,000 Air Force); estimated 140,000 National Gendarmerie (information varies widely) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Mauritanian Armed Forces' inventory is limited and made up largely of older French and Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, Mauritania has received a limited amount of mostly secondhand military equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Brazil, China, France, and Turkey (2020)
the ANP's inventory includes mostly Russian-sourced equipment; since 2010, Russia is the leading supplier of armaments to Algeria, followed by China and Germany (2020)
