Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Mauritania instead of French Polynesia, you would:

Health

live 13.2 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022. In Mauritania, that number is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 71.5% less money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $18,600 as of 2021, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $5,300 as of 2022.

be 61.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In French Polynesia, 19.7% live below the poverty line as of 2009. In Mauritania, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2019.

Life

have 2.0 times more children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 13.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Mauritania, there are 27.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 11.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 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 52.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In French Polynesia, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2020. In Mauritania, 48% of the population do as of 2021.

be 18.8% less likely to have internet access

In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Mauritania, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 14.8% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In French Polynesia, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Mauritania, 85% of people do as of 2020.

Geography

see 70.1% less coastline

French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Mauritania, that number is 754 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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