Mauritania Demographics Profile 2008

Population

3,364,940 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 45.3% (male 763,845/female 759,957)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 872,924/female 894,980)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 29,147/female 44,087) (2008 est.)

Median age

total: 17.2 years
male: 16.9 years
female: 17.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate

2.852% (2008 est.)

Birth rate

40.14 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

11.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate

NA

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 66.65 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 69.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 53.91 years
male: 51.61 years
female: 56.28 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.69 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

9,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and Rift Valley fever (2008)

Nationality

noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian

Ethnic groups

mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%

Religions

Muslim 100%

Languages

Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.2%
male: 59.5%
female: 43.4% (2000 census)