Population:
3,129,486 (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 643,436/female 638,793)
15-64 years:
55.7% (male 818,778/female 923,046)
65 years and over:
3.4% (male 44,836/female 60,597) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.2 years
male:
18.3 years
female:
20 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.399% (2009 est.)
Birth rate:
34.11 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate:
9.16 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 41% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.74 male(s)/female
total population:
0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.42 deaths/1,000 live births
male:
68.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
58.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.37 years
male:
58.22 years
female:
62.59 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.45 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
14,000 (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
malaria and Rift Valley fever
respiratory disease:
meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease:
rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective:
Mauritanian
Ethnic groups:
mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%
Religions:
Muslim 100%
Languages:
Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
51.2%
male:
59.5%
female:
43.4% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male:
8 years
female:
8 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2006)
