Mauritania vs Senegal
Mauritania vs Senegal: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 40.4% of GDP in Mauritania and 127.7% of GDP in Senegal, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Senegal, by 87.3 percentage points, or 3.16 times that in Mauritania.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Senegal has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Mauritania.
- In 2025, Mauritania ranked 103 and Senegal ranked 5 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Mauritania at 39.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Mauritania | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40.4 | 127.7 |
| 2024 | 45.2 | 136.1 |
| 2023 | 48.6 | 120.6 |
| 2022 | 50.1 | 106.9 |
| 2021 | 54.5 | 98.9 |
| 2020 | 56.5 | 90.5 |
| 2019 | 57.7 | 79.6 |
| 2018 | 59.2 | 61.5 |
| 2017 | 55.7 | 61.1 |
| 2016 | 57.6 | 47.5 |
| 2015 | 59.9 | 44.5 |
| 2014 | 49.5 | 42.4 |
| 2013 | 40.7 | 36.9 |
| 2012 | 39.3 | 34.5 |
| 2011 | 38.8 | 32.9 |
| 2010 | 44 | 34.6 |
| 2009 | 54.3 | 29.9 |
| 2008 | 57.2 | 19.1 |
| 2007 | 61.5 | 19 |
| 2006 | 38 | 17.5 |
| 2005 | 71.1 | 36.1 |
| 2004 | 22 | 38 |
| 2003 | 22.9 | 42.9 |
| 2002 | 59.5 | 52 |
| 2001 | 63.5 | 53.2 |
| 2000 | 55.5 | 57.5 |
| 1999 | – | 15 |
| 1998 | – | 18.8 |
| 1997 | – | 67.8 |
| 1996 | – | 0.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Mauritania | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 38.3 | – |
| 2027 | 38.5 | – |
| 2028 | 38.2 | – |
| 2029 | 38.3 | – |
| 2030 | 39.1 | – |
| 2031 | 39.9 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Mauritania vs Senegal
Health
- Life expectancyMauritania: 68.5 years in 2023Senegal: 68.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMauritania: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024Senegal: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMauritania: 30.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Senegal: 24.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMauritania: 3.09% in 2017Senegal: 3.37% in 2017
- Suicide rateMauritania: 6.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Senegal: 12.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMauritania: 5.02 million people in 2023Senegal: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthMauritania: 2.95% a year in 2023Senegal: 2.33% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMauritania: 4.7 births per woman in 2023Senegal: 3.82 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMauritania: 61.5% in 2025Senegal: 55.8% in 2025
- Median ageMauritania: 17.1 years in 2023Senegal: 19.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMauritania: 3.2% in 2023Senegal: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateMauritania: 0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Senegal: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMauritania: 2.75% of GDP in 2025Senegal: 1.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMauritania: $315M in 2025Senegal: $533M in 2025
- Military spending per personMauritania: $61 in 2025Senegal: $30 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMauritania: 10.8% of government spending in 2025Senegal: 5.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMauritania: 21,000 people in 2020Senegal: 19,000 people in 2020
- National powerMauritania: 0.03% of world capability in 2022Senegal: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMauritania: 2% of the labour force in 2020Senegal: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMauritania: 126 million TIV in 2024Senegal: 79 million TIV in 2024