Mauritania vs Senegal
Mauritania vs Senegal: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 61.5% in Mauritania and 55.8% in Senegal, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Mauritania, by 5.7 percentage points, or 1.1 times that in Senegal.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Mauritania has been higher since 2008, when it overtook Senegal.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Mauritania at 76.8% and Senegal at 63.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Mauritania | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61.5 | 55.8 |
| 2024 | 60.6 | 55.2 |
| 2023 | 59.7 | 54.7 |
| 2022 | 58.8 | 53.4 |
| 2021 | 57.9 | 52.2 |
| 2020 | 57 | 51.1 |
| 2019 | 56.1 | 49.9 |
| 2018 | 55.1 | 48.9 |
| 2017 | 54.2 | 47.9 |
| 2016 | 52.9 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 51.7 | 46.3 |
| 2014 | 50.5 | 45.6 |
| 2013 | 49.4 | 45 |
| 2012 | 48.3 | 44.5 |
| 2011 | 47.1 | 44.1 |
| 2010 | 46 | 43.6 |
| 2009 | 44.8 | 43.2 |
| 2008 | 43.6 | 42.9 |
| 2007 | 42.4 | 42.5 |
| 2006 | 41.4 | 42.2 |
| 2005 | 40.4 | 41.9 |
| 2004 | 39.6 | 41.6 |
| 2003 | 38.9 | 41.4 |
| 2002 | 38.4 | 41.1 |
| 2001 | 38.1 | 40.9 |
| 2000 | 38.1 | 40.7 |
| 1999 | 38.1 | 40.5 |
| 1998 | 38.2 | 40.3 |
| 1997 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| 1996 | 38.5 | 40 |
| 1995 | 38.7 | 39.8 |
| 1994 | 38.8 | 39.7 |
| 1993 | 39 | 39.5 |
| 1992 | 39.2 | 39.3 |
| 1991 | 39.4 | 39.1 |
| 1990 | 39.5 | 39 |
| 1989 | 39.6 | 38.7 |
| 1988 | 39.6 | 38.5 |
| 1987 | 39.4 | 38.3 |
| 1986 | 38.8 | 38 |
| 1985 | 37.7 | 37.7 |
| 1984 | 36.3 | 37.4 |
| 1983 | 34.5 | 37 |
| 1982 | 32.7 | 36.7 |
| 1981 | 30.7 | 36.3 |
| 1980 | 28.7 | 36 |
| 1979 | 26.7 | 35.6 |
| 1978 | 24.9 | 35.2 |
| 1977 | 23.4 | 34.8 |
| 1976 | 22.1 | 34.4 |
| 1975 | 20.8 | 33.9 |
| 1974 | 19.6 | 33.5 |
| 1973 | 18.5 | 33 |
| 1972 | 17.3 | 32.5 |
| 1971 | 16.2 | 31.9 |
| 1970 | 15.1 | 31.3 |
| 1969 | 14.1 | 30.4 |
| 1968 | 13 | 29.4 |
| 1967 | 12.1 | 28.3 |
| 1966 | 11.1 | 27.2 |
| 1965 | 10.2 | 26.1 |
| 1964 | 9.4 | 25 |
| 1963 | 8.8 | 24.1 |
| 1962 | 8.1 | 23.3 |
| 1961 | 7.5 | 22.9 |
| 1960 | 6.9 | 22.6 |
| 1959 | 6.3 | 22.5 |
| 1958 | 5.7 | 22.3 |
| 1957 | 5.2 | 22.2 |
| 1956 | 4.7 | 22.1 |
| 1955 | 4.2 | 22.1 |
| 1954 | 3.8 | 22 |
| 1953 | 3.4 | 21.9 |
| 1952 | 3.1 | 21.8 |
| 1951 | 2.8 | 21.7 |
| 1950 | 2.6 | 21.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Mauritania | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 62.4 | 56.3 |
| 2027 | 63.2 | 56.8 |
| 2028 | 64.1 | 57.3 |
| 2029 | 64.9 | 57.8 |
| 2030 | 65.7 | 58.3 |
| 2031 | 66.5 | 58.8 |
| 2032 | 67.3 | 59.2 |
| 2033 | 68 | 59.6 |
| 2034 | 68.8 | 60.1 |
| 2035 | 69.5 | 60.5 |
| 2036 | 70.2 | 60.9 |
| 2037 | 70.8 | 61.2 |
| 2038 | 71.5 | 61.6 |
| 2039 | 72.1 | 61.9 |
| 2040 | 72.7 | 62.2 |
| 2041 | 73.2 | 62.5 |
| 2042 | 73.8 | 62.8 |
| 2043 | 74.3 | 63 |
| 2044 | 74.7 | 63.2 |
| 2045 | 75.2 | 63.4 |
| 2046 | 75.6 | 63.5 |
| 2047 | 75.9 | 63.7 |
| 2048 | 76.3 | 63.8 |
| 2049 | 76.6 | 63.8 |
| 2050 | 76.8 | 63.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 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
- 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