Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 14.2 years longer

In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Albania, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 70.9% more likely to be obese

In Mauritania, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Albania, that number is 21.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.9 times more money

Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $6,300 as of 2023, while in Albania, the GDP per capita is $18,100 as of 2023.

be 30.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Albania, however, that number is 22.0% as of 2020.

pay a 42.5% lower top tax rate

Mauritania has a top tax rate of 40.0% as of 2016. In Albania, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

be 10.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Mauritania, 10.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Albania, that number is 11.6% as of 2023.

Life

be 98.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mauritania, approximately 465.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Albania, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 46.9% more likely to be literate

In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Albania, it is 98.4% as of 2021.

be 78.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Mauritania, approximately 51.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Albania, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2022.

have 54.8% fewer children

In Mauritania, there are approximately 27.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Albania, there are 12.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.0 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Mauritania, approximately 49% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Albania, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 33.9% more likely to have internet access

In Mauritania, approximately 59.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Albania, about 79.0% do as of 2021.

be 13.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Mauritania, approximately 85% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Albania, that number is 97% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 63.2% more on education

Mauritania spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Albania spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 97.1% more on healthcare

Mauritania spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Albania, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2018.

Geography

see 52.0% less coastline

Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Albania, that number is 362 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Albanian Taxation Office.

Albania: At a glance

Albania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 27,398 sq km. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
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How big is Albania compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.

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