Current account balance in Mauritania
Mauritania: Current account balance was -9.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Mauritania, 1975–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Mauritania recorded -9.6% for current account balance in 2024.
That represents a change of down 5.6% on the previous year and up 57.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Mauritania peaked at 4.3% in 1996 and was at its lowest, -24.9%, in 1982.
That places Mauritania 171st out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | -9.0% | — |
| 1976 | -11.1% | +23.4% |
| 1977 | -15.3% | +37.9% |
| 1978 | -9.7% | -36.5% |
| 1979 | -10.2% | +4.8% |
| 1980 | -12.7% | +24.9% |
| 1981 | -13.3% | +4.7% |
| 1982 | -24.9% | +87.4% |
| 1983 | -18.3% | -26.7% |
| 1984 | -10.3% | -43.6% |
| 1985 | -11.5% | +11.5% |
| 1986 | -16.4% | +42.5% |
| 1987 | -10.9% | -33.1% |
| 1988 | -6.8% | -38.1% |
| 1989 | -1.3% | -81.1% |
| 1990 | -0.6% | -50.1% |
| 1991 | -1.4% | +119.2% |
| 1992 | -5.5% | +290.3% |
| 1993 | -9.4% | +72.4% |
| 1994 | -3.6% | -61.9% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | -129.4% |
| 1996 | 4.3% | +305.1% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | -46.1% |
| 1998 | 3.8% | +64.7% |
| 2012 | -18.2% | -579.5% |
| 2013 | -17.5% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | -22.3% | +27.6% |
| 2015 | -15.5% | -30.6% |
| 2016 | -11.0% | -28.7% |
| 2017 | -10.4% | -5.6% |
| 2018 | -13.0% | +25.0% |
| 2019 | -10.5% | -19.1% |
| 2020 | -7.0% | -33.7% |
| 2021 | -8.8% | +25.6% |
| 2022 | -14.9% | +70.0% |
| 2023 | -9.0% | -39.3% |
| 2024 | -9.6% | +5.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -11.1% | -15.3% | -9.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | -12.6% | -24.9% | -1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.0% | -9.4% | 4.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | -14.8% | -22.3% | -10.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | -9.8% | -14.9% | -7.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More economy & growth data for Mauritania
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.4522 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 993.76 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 11.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5417 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 1,190 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 11.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 21.55 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 47,366 current LCU per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.98 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Mauritania?
- Current account balance in Mauritania was -9.6% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 1996.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was -24.9% in 1982.
- How does Mauritania rank for current account balance?
- Mauritania ranks 171st out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.