People

Rewbe Galle Hamadi Alarba, Sincaane N'diakere

Eric Studer

Population: 2 511 473 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 46% (male 584 303; female 583 526)

15-64 years: 51% (male 624 144; female 660 478)

65 years and over: 3% (male 24 813; female 34 209) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.52% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 44.46 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 14.59 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.65 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 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: 0.73 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 78.22 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 49.99 years

male: 46.95 years

female: 53.11 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.41 children born/woman (1998 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.)