Overview: A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In recent years, the droughts, the conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government now has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries.

GDP: $942 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.)

Budget: revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)

Exports: $519 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal; partners--EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%

Imports: $567 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods; partners--EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%

External debt: $2.3 billion (December 1989)

Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP

Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Agriculture: accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops--dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large food deficit in years of drought

Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million

Currency: ouguiya (plural--ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums

Exchange rates: ouguiya (UM) per US$1--77.450 (January 1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Mauritania on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mauritania Economy 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mauritania Economy 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.