Mauritania
Mauritania is a lower middle income economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its capital at Nouakchott. 52.2% of its people had electricity in 2024.
- Electricity access
- 52.2%
- 2024, world 91.9%
- Renewable electricity
- 19.4%
- 2021, world 27.8%
- CO₂ per person
- 0.97 t
- 2024, world 4.69 t
- Clean cooking
- 56.0%
- 2024, world 75.4%
- GDP per person
- 2,198
- 2025, world 14,406
Electricity generation mix
- Oil
- Coal
- Gas
- Hydro
- Nuclear
- Solar, wind & other
Mauritania2021
Sub-Saharan Africa2024
World2025
View data table
| Economy | Oil | Coal | Gas | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar, wind & other | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritania | 80.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 19.4% | 2021 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 5.0% | 42.9% | 14.0% | 29.9% | 1.6% | 4.3% | 2024 |
| World | 1.2% | 15.1% | 28.7% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 12.4% | 2025 |
Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.
Access to electricity
% of population, compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.
- Mauritania
- World
- Sub-Saharan Africa
0%
50%
100%
WorldSub-Saharan AfricaMauritania View data table
| Year | Mauritania | World | Sub-Saharan Africa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 52.2% | 91.9% | 55.1% |
| 2023 | 50.3% | 91.6% | 53.3% |
| 2022 | 49.0% | 91.3% | 51.5% |
| 2021 | 47.7% | 91.3% | 50.7% |
| 2020 | 45.4% | 90.4% | 48.5% |
| 2019 | 44.9% | 90.1% | 47.2% |
| 2018 | 43.6% | 89.8% | 46.4% |
| 2017 | 42.9% | 88.9% | 43.8% |
| 2016 | 41.2% | 88.1% | 43.8% |
| 2015 | 39.5% | 86.9% | 39.2% |
| 2014 | 38.8% | 86.2% | 38.4% |
| 2013 | 37.6% | 85.7% | 38.0% |
| 2012 | 36.4% | 84.9% | 36.8% |
| 2011 | 35.3% | 84.5% | 35.9% |
| 2010 | 34.2% | 83.5% | 33.3% |
| 2009 | 31.1% | 82.9% | 32.6% |
| 2008 | 30.0% | 82.7% | 32.4% |
| 2007 | 33.0% | 82.0% | 32.5% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | 81.4% | 31.2% |
| 2005 | 18.2% | 80.7% | 29.4% |
| 2004 | 24.3% | 80.0% | 29.4% |
| 2003 | 23.0% | 80.0% | 29.6% |
| 2002 | 21.7% | 79.1% | 27.3% |
| 2001 | 22.2% | 78.7% | 26.2% |
| 2000 | 19.1% | 78.2% | 25.7% |
| 1999 | – | 74.5% | 30.1% |
| 1998 | – | 73.2% | 28.6% |
| 1997 | – | – | 28.4% |
| 1996 | – | – | 28.5% |
Emissions
CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.
- Mauritania
- World
- Sub-Saharan Africa
0 t
2 t
4 t
6 t
WorldMauritaniaSub-Saharan Africa View data table
| Year | Mauritania | World | Sub-Saharan Africa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.97 t | 4.69 t | 0.70 t |
| 2023 | 0.96 t | 4.68 t | 0.70 t |
| 2022 | 1.03 t | 4.67 t | 0.72 t |
| 2021 | 0.93 t | 4.68 t | 0.75 t |
| 2020 | 1.01 t | 4.47 t | 0.73 t |
| 2019 | 1.00 t | 4.70 t | 0.79 t |
| 2018 | 1.02 t | 4.73 t | 0.80 t |
| 2017 | 0.90 t | 4.67 t | 0.80 t |
| 2016 | 0.64 t | 4.65 t | 0.81 t |
| 2015 | 0.70 t | 4.70 t | 0.82 t |
| 2014 | 0.70 t | 4.78 t | 0.86 t |
| 2013 | 0.62 t | 4.81 t | 0.85 t |
| 2012 | 0.70 t | 4.77 t | 0.82 t |
| 2011 | 0.65 t | 4.76 t | 0.82 t |
| 2010 | 0.62 t | 4.67 t | 0.84 t |
| 2009 | 0.64 t | 4.45 t | 0.82 t |
| 2008 | 0.66 t | 4.56 t | 0.89 t |
| 2007 | 0.61 t | 4.59 t | 0.86 t |
| 2006 | 0.56 t | 4.48 t | 0.86 t |
| 2005 | 0.52 t | 4.39 t | 0.89 t |
| 2004 | 0.52 t | 4.28 t | 0.89 t |
| 2003 | 0.49 t | 4.15 t | 0.86 t |
| 2002 | 0.47 t | 4.02 t | 0.84 t |
| 2001 | 0.44 t | 4.01 t | 0.85 t |
| 2000 | 0.40 t | 4.01 t | 0.85 t |
| 1999 | 0.99 t | 3.95 t | 0.85 t |
| 1998 | 0.99 t | 3.98 t | 0.89 t |
| 1997 | 0.99 t | 4.02 t | 0.91 t |
| 1996 | 1.03 t | 4.01 t | 0.90 t |
| 1995 | 1.06 t | 3.99 t | 0.87 t |
Currency
40.20 MRU
per US dollar, mid-market reference. 1 MRU = ₦33.12
Sunshine in Nouakchott
6.2 kWh/m² today
- Tu6.2 kWh per square metre
- We6.2 kWh per square metre
- Th6.2 kWh per square metre
- Fr6.1 kWh per square metre
- Sa6.1 kWh per square metre
- Su6.1 kWh per square metre
- Mo5.9 kWh per square metre
Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.
Power plants
Installed capacity by fuel
7 plants, 316 MW recorded in WRI’s Global Power Plant Database.
- Oil133 MW
- Gas120 MW
- Solar33 MW
- Wind30 MW
Snapshot as of the database’s 2021 release; newer plants are not included. Nameplate capacity, not available generation.
Largest plants
| Plant | Fuel | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nouadhibou | Gas | 120 | – |
| Guelbs El Rhein | Oil | 67 | – |
| Nouakchott (Thermal) | Oil | 52 | – |
| Nouakchott (Solar) | Solar | 30 | – |
| Nouakchott (Wind) | Wind | 30 | – |
| Zouerate | Oil | 14 | – |
| Zouerate (Solar) | Solar | 3 | 2018 |
All indicators
Mauritania in numbers
Energy access
| Indicator | Mauritania | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity % of population | 52.2% | 2024 | 55.1% | 91.9% |
| Access to electricity, rural % of rural population | 0.8% | 2012 | 35.7% | 84.9% |
| Access to electricity, urban % of urban population | 94.2% | 2024 | 82.9% | 97.8% |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population | 56.0% | 2024 | 22.9% | 75.4% |
Power supply and mix
| Indicator | Mauritania | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from coal % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 42.9% | 15.1% |
| Electricity production from natural gas % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 14.0% | 28.7% |
| Electricity production from oil % of total | 80.6% | 2021 | 5.0% | 1.2% |
| Electricity production from nuclear % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 1.6% | 15.2% |
| Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 29.9% | 15.2% |
| Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output | – | 13.4% | 6.9% | |
| Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita | – | 380 kWh | 3,708 kWh |
Energy transition
| Indicator | Mauritania | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total | 19.4% | 2021 | 4.3% | 12.4% |
| Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output | 19.4% | 2021 | 32.6% | 27.8% |
| Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption | 19.6% | 2022 | 70.3% | 19.7% |
| CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita | 0.97 t | 2024 | 0.70 t | 4.69 t |
| CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e | 5.0 Mt | 2024 | 896.3 Mt | 39,632.7 Mt |
| Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP | 3.74 MJ/$ | 2022 | 6.14 MJ/$ | 4.54 MJ/$ |
Energy economy
| Indicator | Mauritania | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.5% | 2024 | 40.9% | 9.5% |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 3.80% | 1.36% |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.49% | 0.52% |
| GDP per capita current US$ | 2,198 | 2025 | 1,673 | 14,406 |
| Population, total people | 5.3M | 2025 | 1.3B | 8.2B |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.