Share of cereals allocated to human food in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of cereals allocated to human food was 96.7% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
96.7%
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
22nd
of 192 countries
All-time high
99.4%
in 2003
All-time low
86.6%
in 2017
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Share of cereals allocated to human food in Mauritania, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of cereals allocated to human food in Mauritania stood at 96.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of cereals allocated to human food in Mauritania peaked at 99.4% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 86.6%, in 2017.
Mauritania ranks 22nd of 192 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Share of cereals allocated to human food in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 91.8% | — |
| 1962 | 91.9% | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 91.3% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 95.2% | +4.3% |
| 1965 | 97.5% | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 97.6% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 96.4% | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 95.3% | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 98.5% | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 98.5% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 98.8% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 98.3% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 98.8% | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 98.8% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 98.9% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 98.9% | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 99.0% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 99.2% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 99.3% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 94.4% | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 90.2% | -4.4% |
| 1987 | 90.6% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 89.3% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 91.4% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 97.8% | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 98.0% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 98.6% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 97.3% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 95.0% | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 94.8% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 90.9% | -4.1% |
| 1997 | 90.8% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 91.7% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 91.2% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 95.1% | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 91.2% | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 99.3% | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 99.4% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 99.4% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 97.8% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 98.0% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 97.9% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 97.3% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 96.7% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 97.8% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 92.9% | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 97.9% | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 94.3% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 97.4% | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 92.6% | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 86.6% | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 94.9% | +9.5% |
| 2019 | 94.5% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 91.6% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 97.9% | +6.9% |
| 2022 | 92.2% | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 96.7% | +4.9% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 96.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 75.2%, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 96.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 88.3%, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 95.2% | 91.3% | 97.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 98.4% | 95.3% | 98.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 95.1% | 89.3% | 99.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 94.6% | 90.8% | 98.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 97.3% | 91.2% | 99.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.6% | 86.6% | 97.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.6% | 91.6% | 97.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 19 Haiti 97.8% compare
- 20 French Polynesia 97.6% compare
- 21 Gambia 97.2% compare
- 23 Afghanistan 96.4% compare
- 24 Netherlands Antilles 96.3% compare
- 25 Congo 96.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Mauritania
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1995 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.46 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5156 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3851 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 20.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 20.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of cereals allocated to human food in Mauritania?
- Share of cereals allocated to human food in Mauritania was 96.7% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of cereals allocated to human food recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 99.4% in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of cereals allocated to human food recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 86.6% in 2017.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of cereals allocated to human food?
- Mauritania ranks 22nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of cereals allocated to human food rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of cereals allocated to human food. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of cereals available for domestic use – after accounting for trade – that is allocated to direct human consumption, relative to the total used for human food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. This excludes cereals used for seed, processing, and losses.