Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.6 years longer

In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Tunisia, that number is 77 years (75 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Mauritania, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Tunisia, that number is 26.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 95.2% more money

Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $6,300 as of 2023, while in Tunisia, the GDP per capita is $12,300 as of 2023.

be 47.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Tunisia, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2021.

pay a 12.5% lower top tax rate

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

be 43.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Mauritania, 10.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Tunisia, that number is 15.1% as of 2023.

Life

be 92.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mauritania, approximately 465.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Tunisia, 37.0 women do as of 2020.

be 23.4% more likely to be literate

In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Tunisia, it is 82.7% as of 2021.

be 76.7% 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 Tunisia, on the other hand, 11.9 children do as of 2022.

have 50.4% fewer children

In Mauritania, there are approximately 27.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tunisia, there are 13.5 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 people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Tunisia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) 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 Tunisia, about 79.0% do as of 2021.

be 16.4% 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 Tunisia, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 3.8 times more on education

Mauritania spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Tunisia spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

spend 85.3% more on healthcare

Mauritania spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Tunisia, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 52.3% more coastline

Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Tunisia, that number is 1,148 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, La Direction Générale des Impôts, Ministère des Finances.

Tunisia: At a glance

Tunisia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 155,360 sq km. Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Presidential and parliamentary elections for a permanent government could be held by the end of 2014.
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How big is Tunisia compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.

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