Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Mauritania instead of Ethiopia, you would:

Health

live 3.0 years less

In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Mauritania, that number is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.8 times more likely to be obese

In Ethiopia, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Mauritania, that number is 12.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.2 times more money

Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $2,800 as of 2023, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $6,300 as of 2023.

be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Ethiopia, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 10.5% as of 2023.

be 35.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Ethiopia, 23.5% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Mauritania, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2019.

pay a 14.3% higher top tax rate

Ethiopia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Mauritania, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 29.3% more likely to be literate

In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 51.8% as of 2017. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.

be 74.2% more likely to die during childbirth

In Ethiopia, approximately 267.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Mauritania, 465.0 women do as of 2020.

be 52.2% more likely to die during infancy

In Ethiopia, approximately 33.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Mauritania, on the other hand, 51.0 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 3.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Ethiopia, approximately 17.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Mauritania, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 11.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Ethiopia, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Mauritania, that number is 85% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 10.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 43% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Mauritania, that number is 49% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 57.8% less on education

Ethiopia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Mauritania spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority.

Mauritania: At a glance

Mauritania is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,030,700 sq km. Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976 but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for more than two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and white and black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities, and confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
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How big is Mauritania compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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