Mauritania's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) was 126 million in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 1,475% from 8 million in 2014 (31.74% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 126 million | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 34 million | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 8 million | 2014 |
| Highest | 126 million | 2024 |
| Lowest | 0 | 1984 |
| Average since 2015 | 29.29 million | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 2 million |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Mauritania's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 124 million on 2023 (from 2 million to 126 million).
Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1961 to 2023), the average change was +1.77 million and a typical year strayed about 12.18 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 10.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 124 million in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 20 million in 2003. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, Mauritania had the 2nd highest value of the 23 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Mauritania | 126 million | 2024 |
| World | 33.33 billion | 2025 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 583 million | 2025 |
| Lower middle income | 5.14 billion | 2025 |
Closest to Mauritania in the 2024 ranking
- New Zealand — 1st of 23: 200 million
- Senegal — 3rd of 23: 79 million
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — 4th of 23: 42 million
- Jordan — 5th of 23: 34 million
What this measures
Arms transfers (imports) cover the volume of transfers of major arms through sales and gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships. Figures are SIPRI Trend Indicator Values (TIVs). A '0' indicates that the volume of deliveries is between 0 and 0.5 million SIPRI TIV.
Limitations: SIPRI calculates the volume of transfers to, from and between all parties using the TIV and the number of weapon systems or subsystems delivered in a given year. This data is intended to provide a common unit to allow the measurement if trends in the flow of arms to particular countries and regions over time. Therefore, the main priority is to ensure that the TIV system remains consistent over time, and that any changes introduced are backdated. SIPRI TIV figures do not represent sales prices for arms transfers.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 41 values
| Year | Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 126,000,000 |
| 2023 | 2,000,000 |
| 2022 | no data |
| 2021 | 6,000,000 |
| 2020 | no data |
| 2019 | 34,000,000 |
| 2018 | 1,000,000 |
| 2017 | no data |
| 2016 | 35,000,000 |
| 2015 | 1,000,000 |
| 2014 |
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies
- Angola — 84 million (2025)
- Benin — 4 million (2025)
- Botswana — 11 million (2024)
- Burkina Faso — 34 million (2025)
- Burundi — 2 million (2019)
- Cameroon — 2 million (2023)
- Central African Republic — 43 million (2023)
- Chad — 4 million (2025)
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — 44 million (2025)
- Congo, Rep. — 9 million (2024)
More public sector data for Mauritania
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 12.81 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.75% (2025)
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 321.76 million (2025)
- Armed forces personnel, total — 21,000 (2020)
- Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 2% (2020)
- CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.5 (2025)
- CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.5 (2025)
- CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 4.17 (2025)
- CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Mauritania's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)?
- 126 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 6,200% from 2 million in 1960 (6.69% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 126 million in 2024 and the lowest 0 in 1984.
- How does Mauritania rank?
- 2nd highest of 23 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) unusual for Mauritania?
- In 2024, Mauritania's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 124 million on 2023 (from 2 million to 126 million). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1961 to 2023), the average change was +1.77 million and a typical year strayed about 12.18 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 10.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.MPRT.KD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://armstransfers.sipri.org/ArmsTransfer/ Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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