Mauritius
Republic of Mauritius
Population
1.31M
Area
2,040 km²
GDP
$14.95B
GDP Per Capita
$27,300
Pop. Density
643/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
₨Mauritian rupee(MUR)
Calling Code
+230
Timezone
UTC+04:00
Languages
English, French, Mauritian Creole
Driving Side
left
Demonym
Mauritian
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.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑109.3% since 2006Population
↑1.0% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 73.4 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography17
Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates
20 17 S, 57 33 E
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 2,030 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative
almost 11 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
Coastline
177 km
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Terrain
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Elevation
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Natural resources
arable land, fish
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
143 sq km (2022)
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
Natural hazards
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
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
People & Society33
Population
male: 639,707
female: 671,668
Nationality
adjective: Mauritian
Ethnic groups
Indo-Mauritian (compose approximately two thirds of the total population), Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian
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.)
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.)
Age structure
15-64 years: 71% (male 462,833/female 467,509)
65 years and over: 13.9% (2024 est.) (male 75,464/female 107,014)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 21.1 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 20.5 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 4.9 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 38.1 years
female: 41 years
Population growth rate
0.06% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
9.73 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
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
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
149,000 PORT LOUIS (capital) (2018)
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
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
66 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 72.6 years
female: 78.4 years
Total fertility rate
1.36 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.66 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 9.4% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
1.44 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density
3.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
10.8% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 1.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
male: 37.4% (2025 est.)
female: 2.6% (2025 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
51.6% (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 14.2% national budget (2024 est.)
Literacy
male: 96.3% (2023 est.)
female: 92.8% (2023 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 14 years (2020 est.)
female: 15 years (2020 est.)
Government23
Country name
conventional short form: Mauritius
local long form: Republic of Mauritius
local short form: Mauritius
etymology: named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder (governor) of the Dutch Republic, in 1598
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: named after LOUIS XV, who was king of France in 1736 when the port became the administrative center of Mauritius
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
Legal system
civil system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law
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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
election results
2019: Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislature name
legislative structure
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
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
Political parties
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
email address and website:
mauritius.embassy@verizon.net
https://mauritius-washington.govmu.org/Pages/index.aspx
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
PTLConsular@state.gov
https://mu.usembassy.gov/
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
Independence
12 March 1968 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence and Republic Day, 12 March (1968, 1992)
Flag
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
National symbol(s)
National color(s)
red, blue, yellow, green
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
history: adopted 1968
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Aapravasi Ghat; Le Morne Cultural Landscape
Economy31
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $32.864 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $31.296 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 8.7% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $26,100 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $24,800 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$14.953 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 7.1% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 10.8% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 17.8% (2024 est.)
services: 64.4% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
sugarcane, chicken, pumpkins/squash, tomatoes, eggs, potatoes, cabbages, bananas, onions, cucumbers/gherkins (2023)
Industries
food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Industrial production growth rate
4.7% (2024 est.)
Labor force
594,900 (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 5.6% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 6.4% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 15.3% (2024 est.)
female: 18.4% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
10.3% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 29.9% (2017 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $5.042 billion (2024 est.)
Public debt
Taxes and other revenues
20.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2022: -$1.437 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$1.497 billion (2021 est.)
Exports
Exports 2022: $6.138 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $4.213 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
USA 11%, France 11%, Zimbabwe 10%, South Africa 7%, Zambia 7% (2023)
Exports - commodities
fish, garments, raw sugar, fertilizers, diamonds (2023)
Imports
Imports 2022: $8.052 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $6.057 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
China 15%, UAE 11%, India 10%, South Africa 9%, France 6% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, fish, coal, packaged medicine (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $7.248 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $7.793 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy6
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 99%
electrification - rural areas: 100%
Electricity
consumption: 3.084 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 179.996 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 9.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
imports: 610,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 173 (2024 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
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2023 est.)
Transportation5
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
3B
Airports
5 (2025)
Heliports
1 (2025)
Merchant marine
by type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 27
Ports
total ports
large
medium
small
very small
ports with oil terminals
key ports
Military & Security2
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)
Military - note
the Special Mobile Force was created in 1960 following the withdrawal of the British garrison (2025)
Transnational Issues1
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 39 (2024 est.)