Prevalence of undernourishment in Mauritania
Mauritania: Prevalence of undernourishment was 8.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Mauritania, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment in Mauritania is 8.7%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 42.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Mauritania peaked at 10.3% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 6.1%, in 2013.
That places Mauritania 61st out of 168 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 9.8% | — |
| 2002 | 9.2% | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 10.3% | +8.4% |
| 2006 | 9.3% | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 8.4% | -9.7% |
| 2008 | 7.3% | -13.1% |
| 2009 | 7.1% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 6.1% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 6.7% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 6.6% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 6.5% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 6.6% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 7.8% | +11.4% |
| 2022 | 8.6% | +10.3% |
| 2023 | 8.7% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.9% | 7.1% | 10.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 6.1% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.0% | 7.0% | 8.7% | 4 |
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 prevalence of undernourishment in Mauritania?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Mauritania was 8.7% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 10.3% in 2005.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.1% in 2013.
- How does Mauritania rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Mauritania ranks 61st out of 168 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.