Population: 2,581,738 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 600,901; female 600,225)
15-64 years: 51% (male 641,481; female 678,951)
65 years and over: 2% (male 25,156; female 35,024) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.99% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 44.1 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 14.2 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 76.46 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.48 years
male: 47.39 years
female: 53.65 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.35 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian

Ethnic groups: mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%

Religions: Muslim 100%

Languages: Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.7%
male: 49.6%
female: 26.3% (1995 est.)