Mauritania: Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Mauritania's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) rose 0.25 percentage points on 2023 (from 9.42% to 9.67%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +0.19 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.3 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 16.11 percentage points in 1979 and the biggest yearly fall was 15.31 percentage points in 1980. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.83 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 64% of the movement over 10 observed 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 70th highest value of the 109 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.

Closest to Mauritania in the 2024 ranking

• India — 67th of 109: 10.49%
• Belarus — 68th of 109: 10.47%
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 69th of 109: 10.09%
• Guatemala — 71st of 109: 9.56%
• Fiji — 72nd of 109: 9.54%
• Mexico — 73rd of 109: 9.52%

What this measures

Total debt service to exports of goods, services and primary income. Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 44 values

Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) in nearby economies

• Angola — 28.91% (2024)
• Benin — 26.81% (2024)
• Botswana — 4.72% (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 13.6% (2024)
• Burundi — 10.96% (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 12.62% (2024)
• Cameroon — 20.15% (2023)
• Central African Republic — 13.4% (2024)
• Chad

More economic policy & debt data for Mauritania

• Changes in inventories (current US$) — US$2.03 billion (2025)
• Changes in inventories (current LCU) — 80.64 billion (2025)
• Final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$8.17 billion (2025)
• Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 325.27 billion (2025)
• Final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 69.99% (2025)
• Gross national expenditure (current US$) — US$13.35 billion (2025)
• Gross national expenditure (current LCU) — 531.28 billion (2025)
• Gross national expenditure (% of GDP) — 114.32% (2025)
• Exports of goods and services (current US$) — US$4.65 billion (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Mauritania's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income)?

9.67% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is down 12.49 percentage points from 22.17% in 1975. The highest value was 37.64% in 1976 and the lowest 3.29% in 2008.

How does Mauritania rank?

70th highest of 109 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) unusual for Mauritania?

In 2024, Mauritania's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) rose 0.25 percentage points on 2023 (from 9.42% to 9.67%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +0.19 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.3 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator DT.TDS.DECT.EX.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB) 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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