Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita was 22.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in Mauritania, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Mauritania recorded 22.1% for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 32.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Mauritania peaked at 22.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 1980.
That places Mauritania 113th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.8% | — |
| 1981 | 4.0% | +4.9% |
| 1982 | 4.2% | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 4.4% | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 4.6% | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 4.8% | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 5.0% | +4.8% |
| 1987 | 5.3% | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 5.5% | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 5.8% | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 6.1% | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 6.4% | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 6.7% | +4.7% |
| 1993 | 7.0% | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 7.4% | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 7.7% | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 8.2% | +5.5% |
| 1997 | 8.6% | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 9.1% | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 9.6% | +5.3% |
| 2000 | 10.1% | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 10.6% | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 11.7% | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 12.2% | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 12.7% | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 13.2% | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 13.7% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 14.1% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 14.5% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 14.9% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 15.8% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 16.2% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 16.6% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 17.1% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 17.6% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 18.1% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 18.7% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 19.2% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 19.8% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 20.4% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 20.9% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 21.5% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 22.1% | +2.7% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 22.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.6%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 22.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.6%, 1.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.7% | 3.8% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.7% | 6.1% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.4% | 10.1% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 14.9% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.9% | 19.8% | 22.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More health data for Mauritania
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8878 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 653 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1,563 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Mauritania?
- Share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Mauritania was 22.1% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 22.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 1980.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita?
- Mauritania ranks 113th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) ≥ 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.