Key Stats
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Continent: | Africa |
| Capital: | Nouakchott |
| Population: | 4,993,922 |
| % Urban: | 56.1 % |
| Population Under 15 Yrs: | 39.9 % |
| Official Language: | Arabic. Pular, Soninke and Wolof are all national languages |
| Languages: | 8 |
| Literacy Rate: | 52 % |
| Life Expectancy: | 64.4 yrs (195/236) |
| HDI Ranking: | 158 / 189 |
| % Christian: | 0.3 % |
| % Evangelical: | 0.1 % |
| Largest Religion: | Muslim |
| % Largest Religion: | 99.8 % |
| People Groups: | 18 |
| Least Reached People Groups: | 14 |
| % Unevangelized: | 73 % |
| Persecution Ranking: | 20 / 50 |
Mauritania
Mauritania must overcome huge economic and social challenges. One-third of Mauritanians live with food insecurity and malnutrition levels are at or beyond emergency thresholds. Widespread divorce leads to many social problems. Only about 1% of land can be farmed, and even that decreases as farmland becomes desert. New discoveries of oil could bring wealth, but could also increase corruption and further divide rich and poor. 30% are below the poverty line, and half of the population is illiterate. Slavery is illegal, but thousands most likely still live as slaves. Pray for freedom and justice for all those oppressed.
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Content taken or adapted from Operation World, 7th Edition (2010) and Pray for the World (2015). Both books are published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.