Basic Country Facts

People Population: 2,336,048 (July 1996 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (male 568,828; female 562,342) 15-64 years: 49% (male 560,540; female 592,914) 65 years and over: 3% (male 21,753; female 29,671) (July 1996 est.) Population growth rate: 3.17% (1996 est.) Birth rate: 46.92 births/1,000 population (1996 est.) Death rate: 15.24 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.) Infant mortality rate: 81.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 49.01 years male: 46.09 years female: 52.06 years (1996 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.84 children born/woman (1996 est.) Nationality: noun: Mauritanian(s) adjective: Mauritanian Ethnic divisions: mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30% Religions: Muslim 100% Languages: Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official) Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 37.7% male: 49.6% female: 26.3%