Mauritania’s population rose to 5.3 m people in 2025.

Neither way is good in itself. A larger population can mean more workers and a bigger home market, and it can also mean more demand for schools, jobs, water and housing. For that reason the direction carries no verdict on its own. The latest figure is 5.3 million people in 2025, up from 5.2 million a year earlier. That is a rise of 0.15 million, or 2.8%. Since 2016 the range runs from a low of 4.1 million in 2016 to a high of 5.3 million in 2025, so the country sits at the top of its own range.

Why it matters. Growth of 2.8% a year means the number of people needing food, schooling, health care and work rises quickly. Households feel it in crowded classrooms and a larger pool of young job seekers. The state has to expand services and infrastructure at that pace just to keep coverage per person where it is. Firms see a growing customer base and a growing labour supply.