Mauritania scores 59.5/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #86 globally. Freedom House rates it Partly Free (39/100). Context: pop 4.5 million, GDP $7.59B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Mauritania scores 59.45 out of 100 and ranks #86 globally — a satisfactory-to-problematic press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Mauritania earns 0 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Freedom of Expression (9/16) and its weakest is Personal Autonomy (5/16).
59.5 / 100
Composite index comparison
Press freedom score — higher is freer.
Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.
Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.
Academic press-freedom index from the Varieties of Democracy project (0–1 rescaled to 0–100).
Five-year RSF trend
Over 2019–2023, Mauritania moved from 68.35 to 59.45 on the RSF scale (a decline of 8.90 points). The lowest recorded score was 58.10 and the highest was 68.35.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Mauritania's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 9.65 points between 2021 (67.75) and 2022 (58.10).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 68.35 | 67.46 | ▼ -0.89 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 67.46 | 67.75 | ▲ 0.29 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 67.75 | 58.10 | ▼ -9.65 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 58.10 | 59.45 | ▲ 1.35 |
Full socio-economic dashboard
Demographics & geography
Economy & labour
Health
Education
Administration
All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).
Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties
Freedom status explained
Freedom House classifies Mauritania as Partly Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 39/100 — political rights and civil liberties are respected in part but undercut by specific institutional or legal weaknesses.
Within Freedom House's Africa region (56 countries), Mauritania ranks #27 on the latest aggregate score — the 53rd percentile. The region leaders are Cape Verde, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 5 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 5 of 7 (1 = best)
Political rights and civil liberties are rated in similar territory, a sign that formal political channels and everyday personal freedoms move together in this country.
Twelve-year Freedom House trend
Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Mauritania from Not Free (Not Free, 34/100) to Partly Free (Partly Free, 39/100).
Status transitions
Freedom House records 1 status transition for Mauritania between 2020 and 2020 — each row below marks the year the classification flipped between Free, Partly Free, and Not Free.
| Year | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Not Free | → | Partly Free |
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Mauritania, 12 moved at least one point across the available Freedom House history. The eight with the largest absolute change appear below.
| Code | Indicator | Earliest | Latest | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Free and fair head-of-government elections | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| A3 | Electoral framework | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B3 | Free political choice | 0/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| C3 | Government transparency | 2/4 (2013) | 1/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| D4 | Private discussion | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| E1 | Freedom of assembly | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
2/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
2/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
2/4
Political Pluralism & Participation
PR
-
B1Right to organise in political parties
2/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
1/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
1/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
1/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
1/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
2/4
-
C3Transparency of government
1/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
2/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
2/4
-
D3Academic freedom
3/4
-
D4Free private discussion
2/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
2/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
1/4
-
E3Free trade unions
2/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
1/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
1/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
2/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
1/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
1/4
-
G2Property rights
2/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
1/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
1/4
Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Mauritania see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 9.65 points between 2021 (67.75) and 2022 (58.10) on the RSF index.
Has Mauritania changed Freedom House classification in the last 12 years?
Yes — Freedom House reclassified Mauritania from Not Free to Partly Free in 2020, and the classification has held since.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Mauritania?
Indicator A1 (Free and fair head-of-government elections) changed by +1 points, moving from 1/4 to 2/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Mauritania.
How does Mauritania rank within its Freedom House region?
Mauritania holds position #27 of 56 in the Africa region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Cape Verde (92/100).
What is Mauritania's economic context for its press freedom score?
Mauritania has a GDP of $7.59B across a population of 4.5 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $1,678. Its capital is Nouakchott; the official language is Arabic.