2024 Edition Primary

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

note

note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

total

2,040 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

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 dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

Irrigated land

158 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

43.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 38.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.4% (2018 est.)

forest

17.3% (2018 est.)

other

38.9% (2018 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

note

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

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; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island 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

9.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

63.8% (2014)

Current health expenditure

6.7% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Mauritius has transitioned from a country of high fertility and high mortality rates in the 1950s and mid-1960s to one with among the lowest population growth rates in the developing world today. After World War II, Mauritius’ population began to expand quickly due to increased fertility and a dramatic drop in mortality rates as a result of improved health care and the eradication of malaria. This period of heightened population growth – reaching about 3% a year – was followed by one of the world’s most rapid birth rate declines. The total fertility rate fell from 6.2 children per women in 1963 to 3.2 in 1972 – largely the result of improved educational attainment, especially among young women, accompanied by later marriage and the adoption of family planning methods. The family planning programs’ success was due to support from the government and eventually the traditionally pronatalist religious communities, which both recognized that controlling population growth was necessary because of Mauritius’ small size and limited resources. Mauritius’ fertility rate has consistently been below replacement level since the late 1990s, a rate that is substantially lower than nearby countries in southern Africa. With no indigenous population, Mauritius’ ethnic mix is a product of more than two centuries of European colonialism and continued international labor migration. Sugar production relied on slave labor mainly from Madagascar, Mozambique, and East Africa from the early 18th century until its abolition in 1835, when slaves were replaced with indentured Indians. Most of the influx of indentured labor – peaking between the late 1830s and early 1860s – settled permanently creating massive population growth of more than 7% a year and reshaping the island’s social and cultural composition. While Indians represented about 12% of Mauritius’ population in 1837, they and their descendants accounted for roughly two-thirds by the end of the 19th century. Most were Hindus, but the majority of the free Indian traders were Muslims. Mauritius again turned to overseas labor when its success in clothing and textile exports led to a labor shortage in the mid-1980s. Clothing manufacturers brought in contract workers (increasingly women) from China, India, and, to a lesser extent Bangladesh and Madagascar, who worked longer hours for lower wages under poor conditions and were viewed as more productive than locals. Downturns in the sugar and textile industries in the mid-2000s and a lack of highly qualified domestic workers for Mauritius’ growing services sector led to the emigration of low-skilled workers and a reliance on skilled foreign labor. Since 2007, Mauritius has pursued a circular migration program to enable citizens to acquire new skills and savings abroad and then return home to start businesses and to invest in the country’s development.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

17.3

potential support ratio

5.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

40.7

youth dependency ratio

23.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99.8% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

Education expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: Mauritius has not had a question on ethnicity on its national census since 1972

Gross reproduction rate

0.66 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.7 beds/1,000 population (2020)

Infant mortality rate

female

10 deaths/1,000 live births

male

13.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

90.5% (2021)

male

93.5%

total population

92.2%

Major urban areas - population

149,000 PORT LOUIS (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

84 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

41 years

male

38.1 years

total

39.6 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Mauritian

noun

Mauritian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

10.8% (2016)

Physician density

2.71 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

671,234 (2024 est.)

male

639,270

total

1,310,504

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; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

0.07% (2024 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: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: (2020 est.) NA

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2017)

male

14 years

total

15 years

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

3% (2020 est.)

male

37.3% (2020 est.)

total

20.2% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.36 children born/woman (2024 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 and a major reprovisioning stop for French ships traveling between Europe and Asia

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

amendments

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; amended many times, last in 2016

history

several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form

Mauritius

etymology

island named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, in 1598

local long form

Republic of Mauritius

local short form

Mauritius

note

note: pronounced mah-rish-us

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.govhttps://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 Purmanund JHUGROO (since 7 July 2021)

email address and website

mauritius.embassy@verizon.nethttps://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 Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (since 2 December 2019)

election results

2019: Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote2015: Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (independent) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote; note - GURIB-FAKIM, who was Mauritius' first female president, resigned on 23 March 2018; acting presidents served from March 2018 until ROOPUN's appointment in 2019

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; election last held on 7 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister who have the majority support in the National Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Pravind JUGNAUTH (since 23 January 2017)

Flag description

four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green; red represents self-determination and independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island

note

note: while many national flags consist of three - and in some cases five - horizontal bands of color, the flag of Mauritius is the world's only national flag to consist of four horizontal color bands

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); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal

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

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (70 seats maximum; 62 members directly elected multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and up to 8 seats allocated to non-elected party candidates by the Office of Electoral Commissioner; members serve a 5-year term)

election results

percent of vote by party - Mauritian Alliance 2019 (MSM, ML, MAG, and PM) 37.7%, National Alliance (PTR, PMSD, and MJCB) 32.8%, MMM 20.6%, OPR 1%, other 7.9%; seats by party - MSM 38, PTR 14, MMM 8, OPR 2; composition - men 56, women 14, percentage women 20% (2019)

elections

last held on 7 November 2019 (next to be held by late 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL

name

"Motherland"

note

note: adopted 1968

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); note - became independent and a republic on the same date in 1968 and 1992 respectively

National symbol(s)

dodo bird, Trochetia Boutoniana flower; national colors: red, blue, yellow, green

Political parties

Alliance Morisien (Mauritian Alliance)Jean-Claude Barbier Movement (Mouvement Jean-Claude Barbier) or MJCBMauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMMMauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSDMauritius Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLPMilitant Platform (Plateforme Militante) or PMMilitant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSMMuvman Liberater or MLNational AlliancePatriotic Movement (Mouvement Patriotique) or MAGRodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, chicken, pumpkins/squash, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, onions, tea, cucumbers/gherkins (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$3.647 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$3.134 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

Baa1 (2012)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

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

-$654.051 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$2.827 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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 2019

35.474 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$3.194 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$5.004 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$5.499 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

garments, fish, raw sugar, fertilizers, diamonds (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Zimbabwe 11%, South Africa 11%, France 10%, Madagascar 8%, US 7% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

53.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption

14.2% (2023 est.)

household consumption

67.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-55.2% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.5% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.8% (2023 est.)

industry

18.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

64.6% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.397 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

36.8 (2017 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.9% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9% (2017 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$6.057 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$8.052 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$8.038 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, coal, fish, cars, packaged medicine (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 16%, South Africa 10%, UAE 9%, India 9%, Oman 8% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

10.47% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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) 2021

4.03% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

10.77% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.05% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

588,000 (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

10.3% (2017 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2019

57.96% of GDP (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$28.793 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$31.35 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$33.53 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.4% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

8.88% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

6.95% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$22,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$24,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$26,600 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

2.37% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.12% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.94% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$8.563 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$7.793 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$7.248 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.05% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

7.72% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

6.32% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.06% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

23.6% (2023 est.)

male

19% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

20.9% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

1.31 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

3.781 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

5.091 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

580,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

580,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

3.288 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

956,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

208.205 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

100%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

99%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

10.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

80.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

3.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

4.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

54.401 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

25,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2020 est.)

total

323,200 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation is the national public television and radio broadcaster; it broadcasts programming in French, English, Hindi, Creole and Chinese, it provides 17 television channels in Mauritius; there are nine Mauritian FM radio stations and two operating on the AM band (2022)

Internet country code

.mu

Internet users

percent of population

68% (2021 est.)

total

884,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity over 36 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular services teledensity 152 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

the telecom sector in Mauritius has long been supported by the varied needs of tourists; this has stimulated the mobile market, leading to a particularly high penetration rate; the response of the country’s telcos to tourist requirements also contributed to the country being among the first in the region to provide services based on 3G and WiMAX technologies; the incumbent telco provides comprehensive LTE and fiber broadband coverage, and in late 2021 it launched a gigabit fiber-based broadband service; the country has seen improved international internet capacity in recent years, with direct cables linking to India, Madagascar, and South Africa, as well as other connections to Rodrigues and Reunion; mobile subscribers in Mauritius secured 5G services in mid-2021;  this followed the regulator’s award of spectrum in two bands to the MNOs (2022)

international

country code - 230; landing points for the SAFE, MARS, IOX Cable System, METISS and LION submarine cable system that provides links to Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Indian Ocean Islands of Reunion, Madagascar, and Mauritius; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

462,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

161 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

2.097 million (2022 est.)

Airports

4 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

3B

Heliports

1 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 27

total

32 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

233.72 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,745,291 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

13

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports

key ports

Port Louis, Port Mathurin

ports with oil terminals

1

small

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

1

Roadways

paved

2,379 km (includes 99 km of expressways)

total

2,428 km

unpaved

49 km (2015)

Military - note

the MPF's primary security partner is India, which provides training and other support to the National Coast Guard; 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 MPF’s chief security concerns are piracy and narcotics traffickingthe Special Mobile Force was created in 1960 following the withdrawal of the British garrison (2024)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; the Mauritius Police Force (MPF) under the Ministry of Defense 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 (also includes an air squadron) (2024)

note

note: the MPF is responsible for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; a police commissioner heads the force and has authority over all police and other security forces, including the Coast Guard and Special Mobile Forces; the Special Mobile Forces share responsibility with police for internal security

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the MPF's inventory is comprised of mostly secondhand equipment from Western European countries and India (2023)

Illicit drugs

consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

4.35 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.06 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

10.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

43.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 38.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.4% (2018 est.)

forest

17.3% (2018 est.)

other

38.9% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.75 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

310 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

290 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

40.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

438,000 tons (2016 est.)