2020 Edition

Background

Although known to Arab and European sailors since at least the early 1500s, the island of Mauritius was uninhabited until 1638 when the Dutch established a settlement named in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU. Their presence led to the rapid disappearance of the flightless dodo bird that has since become one of the most well-known examples of extinction in modern times. The Dutch abandoned their financially distressed settlement in 1710, although a number of formerly enslaved people remained. In 1722, the French established what would become a highly profitable settlement focused on sugar cane plantations that were reliant on the labor of enslaved people brought to Mauritius from other parts of Africa. In the 1790s, the island had a brief period of autonomous rule when plantation owners rejected French control because of laws ending slavery that were temporarily in effect during the French Revolution. Britain captured the island in 1810 as part of the Napoleonic Wars but kept most of the French administrative structure, which remains to this day in the form of the country’s legal codes and widespread use of the French Creole language. The abolition of slavery in 1835 -- later than most other British colonies -- led to increased reliance on contracted laborers from the Indian subcontinent to work on plantations. Today their descendants form the majority of the population. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base and later an air station, and it played a role during World War II in anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as in the collection of signals intelligence. Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968 as a Parliamentary Republic and has remained a stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record. The country also attracted considerable foreign investment and now has one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Mauritius’ often-fractious coalition politics has been dominated by two prominent families, each of which has had father-son pairs who have been prime minister over multiple, often nonconsecutive, terms. Seewoosagur RAMGOOLAM (1968-76) was Mauritius’ first prime minister, and he was succeeded by Anerood JUGNAUTH (1982-95, 2000-03, 2014-17); his son Navin RAMGOOLAM (1995-2000, 2005-14); and Paul Raymond BERENGER (2003-05), the only non-Hindu prime minister of post-independence Mauritius. In 2017, Pravind JUGNAUTH became prime minister after his father stepped down short of completing his term, and he was elected in his own right in 2019. Mauritius claims the French island of Tromelin and the British Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory). Since 2017, Mauritius has secured favorable UN General Assembly resolutions and an International Court of Justice advisory opinion relating to its sovereignty dispute with the UK.

Area

land

2,030 sq km

total

2,040 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

almost 11 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Coastline

177 km

Elevation

highest point

Mont Piton 828 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

20 17 S, 57 33 E

Geography - note

the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former home of the extinct dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons

Irrigated land

143 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

43% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 37.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.5% (2023 est.)

forest

19.2% (2023 est.)

other

37.8% (2023 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Population distribution

population density is one of the highest in the world; urban clusters are found throughout the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; the population on Rodrigues Island is fairly evenly spread, with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Age structure

0-14 years

15.1% (male 100,973/female 96,711)

15-64 years

71% (male 462,833/female 467,509)

65 years and over

13.9% (2024 est.) (male 75,464/female 107,014)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

9.73 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.6% (2022 est.)

Death rate

9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

20.5 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

4.9 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

41.7 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

21.1 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.2% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Indo-Mauritian (compose approximately two thirds of the total population), Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian

Gross reproduction rate

0.66 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.4% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

9.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

10 deaths/1,000 live births

male

13.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Creole 86.5%, Bhojpuri 5.3%, French 4.1%, two languages 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes English, one of the two official languages of the National Assembly, which is spoken by less than 1% of the population), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.4 years

male

72.6 years

total population

75.4 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

92.8% (2023 est.)

male

96.3% (2023 est.)

total population

94.3% (2023 est.)

Major urban areas - population

149,000 PORT LOUIS (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

66 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

41 years

male

38.1 years

total

40 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Mauritian

noun

Mauritian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

10.8% (2016)

Physician density

1.44 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

671,668

male

639,707

total

1,311,375 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.06% (2025 est.)

Religions

Hindu 48.5%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, Muslim 17.3%, other Christian 6.4%, other 0.6%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

urban: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2020 est.)

male

14 years (2020 est.)

total

14 years (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.71 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

2.6% (2025 est.)

male

37.4% (2025 est.)

total

19.6% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.36 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

40.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

Capital

etymology

named after LOUIS XV, who was king of France in 1736 when the port became the administrative center of Mauritius

geographic coordinates

20 09 S, 57 29 E

name

Port Louis

time difference

UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 out of the previous 7 years including the last 12 months

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, including the sovereignty of the state, fundamental rights and freedoms, citizenship, or the branches of government, requires approval in a referendum by at least three-fourths majority of voters followed by a unanimous vote by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly

history

several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form

Mauritius

etymology

named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder (governor) of the Dutch Republic, in 1598

local long form

Republic of Mauritius

local short form

Mauritius

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Henry V. JARDINE (since 22 February 2023); note - also accredited to Seychelles

email address and website

PTLConsular@state.gov https://mu.usembassy.gov/

embassy

4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Avenue, Port Louis

FAX

[230] 208-9534

mailing address

2450 Port Louis Place, Washington, DC 20521-2450

telephone

[230] 202-4400

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Gajjaluxmi MOOTOOSAMY (since 5 June 2025)

email address and website

mauritius.embassy@verizon.net https://mauritius-washington.govmu.org/Pages/index.aspx

FAX

[1] (202) 966-0983

telephone

[1] (202) 244-1491

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Dharam GOKHOOL (since 7 December 2024)

election results

2019: Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote

election/appointment process

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister who have the majority support in the National Assembly

expected date of next election

2029

head of government

Prime Minister Navin RAMGOOLAM (since 13 November 2024)

most recent election date

6 December 2024

Flag

description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green meaning: red stands for self-determination and independence; blue for the Indian Ocean; yellow for the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future; and green for agriculture or the island's lush vegetation

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

12 March 1968 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 24 puisne judges)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 67

subordinate courts

lower regional courts known as District Courts, Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal

Legal system

civil system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law

Legislative branch

chamber name

National Assembly

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

October 2029

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Assembly - Assemblée nationale

most recent election date

11/10/2024

number of seats

67 (62 directly elected; 4 appointed)

parties elected and seats per party

Alliance Du Changement (Alliance for Change, AdC) (60); Other (2)

percentage of women in chamber

17.9%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1968

lyrics/music

Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL

title

"Motherland"

National color(s)

red, blue, yellow, green

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Aapravasi Ghat; Le Morne Cultural Landscape

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both cultural)

National holiday

Independence and Republic Day, 12 March (1968, 1992)

National symbol(s)

dodo bird, earring tree flower (Trochetia boutoniana)

Political parties

Alliance Morisien (Mauritian Alliance) Jean-Claude Barbier Movement (Mouvement Jean-Claude Barbier) or MJCB Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD Mauritius Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP Militant Platform (Plateforme Militante) or PM Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM Muvman Liberater or ML National Alliance Patriotic Movement (Mouvement Patriotique) or MAG Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, chicken, pumpkins/squash, tomatoes, eggs, potatoes, cabbages, bananas, onions, cucumbers/gherkins (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$5.042 billion (2024 est.)

revenues

$3.801 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$1.497 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.437 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$647.743 million (2023 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$3.632 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

upper middle-income Indian Ocean island economy; diversified portfolio; investing in maritime security; strong tourism sector decimated by COVID-19; expanding in information and financial services; environmentally fragile

Exchange rates

Currency

Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

39.347 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

41.692 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

44.183 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

45.267 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

46.415 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$4.213 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$6.138 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$6.381 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish, garments, raw sugar, fertilizers, diamonds (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 11%, France 11%, Zimbabwe 10%, South Africa 7%, Zambia 7% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

46.2% (2024 est.)

government consumption

14.7% (2024 est.)

household consumption

68.6% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-57.8% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4.3% (2024 est.)

industry

17.8% (2024 est.)

services

64.4% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.953 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

36.8 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.9% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9% (2017 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$6.057 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$8.052 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$8.027 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, fish, coal, packaged medicine (2023)

Imports - partners

China 15%, UAE 11%, India 10%, South Africa 9%, France 6% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2024 est.)

Industries

food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

10.8% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.6% (2024 est.)

Labor force

594,900 (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

10.3% (2017 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2019

58% of GDP (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$31.296 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$32.864 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$34.406 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

8.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

4.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$24,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$26,100 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$27,300 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$7.793 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$7.248 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$8.506 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

6.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

5.5% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

18.4% (2024 est.)

male

15.3% (2024 est.)

total

16.6% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

651,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

610,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

3.084 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

955,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

179.996 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

100%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

99%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

9.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

82.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

60.188 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

28,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

27 (2023 est.)

total

343,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is the national public TV and radio broadcaster, with programming in French, English, Hindi, Creole, and Chinese; MBC provides 17 television channels in Mauritius; 9 FM radio stations and 2 AM radio stations (2022)

Internet country code

.mu

Internet users

percent of population

80% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

464,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

173 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

2.2 million (2024 est.)

Airports

5 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

3B

Heliports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 27

total

32 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Port Louis, Port Mathurin

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

1

Military - note

key security priorities for the Maritius Police Force (MPF) include combating narcotics trafficking, ensuring public order, fighting cybercrime, improving maritime security, and responding to natural disasters; the MPF's primary security partner is India, which provides training and other support to the National Coast Guard, while Indian naval vessels often patrol the country's waters; the MPF has also received assistance and training from France, the UK, and the US the Special Mobile Force was created in 1960 following the withdrawal of the British garrison (2025)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; the Mauritius Police Force (MPF) under the Ministry of Defense is responsible for the country's security; it includes a paramilitary unit known as the Special Mobile Force, which includes some motorized infantry and light armored units; the MPF also has a Police Helicopter Squadron, a Special Support Unit (riot police), and the National Coast Guard (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

39 (2024 est.)

refugees

82 (2024 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

1.495 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

4.056 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

5.551 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

water pollution, degradation of coral reefs; soil erosion; wildlife preservation; solid-waste disposal

International environmental agreements

party to

Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

10.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.751 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

303 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial

10 million cubic meters (2022)

municipal

320 million cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

438,000 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

15.9% (2022 est.)