Mauritius

Broadcast media

the government maintains control over TV broadcasting through the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which only operates digital TV stations since June 2015; MBC is a shareholder in a local company that operates 2 pay-TV stations; the state retains the largest radio broadcast network with multiple stations; several private radio broadcasters have entered the market since 2001; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet country code

.mu

Internet users

total: 717,618 | percent of population: 53.2% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Telephone system

general assessment: small system with good service | domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with teledensity approaching 135 per 100 persons in 2016 | international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 385,500 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 1.814 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish

Budget

revenues: $2.539 billion | expenditures: $2.854 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Central bank discount rate

9% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 33

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.5% (31 December 2016 est.) | 8.5% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Current account balance

$-531 million (2016 est.) | $-586 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Debt - external

$14.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $14.64 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Distribution of family income - Gini index

35.9 (2012 est.) | 39 (2006 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Economy - overview

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has undergone a remarkable economic transformation from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a diversified, upper middle-income economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. Mauritius has achieved steady growth over the last several decades, resulting in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. | The economy currently depends on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, but is expanding into fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 15% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on creating vertical and horizontal clusters of development in these sectors. Mauritius has attracted more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India, South Africa, and China. Investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius’ textile sector has taken advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, a preferential trade program that allows duty free access to the US market, with Mauritian exports to the US growing by 40% from 2000 to 2014. | Mauritius' sound economic policies and prudent banking practices helped mitigate negative effects of the global financial crisis in 2008-09. GDP grew in the 3-4% per year range in 2010-16, and the country continues to expand its trade and investment outreach around the globe. Growth in the US and Europe fostered goods and services exports, including tourism, while lower oil prices kept inflation low in 2016. Mauritius continues to rank first in sub-Saharan Africa on the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar - | 35.542 (2016 est.) | 35.542 (2015 est.) | 35.057 (2014 est.) | 30.622 (2013 est.) | 30.05 (2012 est.)

Exports

$2.359 billion (2016 est.) | $2.662 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish, primates (for research)

Exports - partners

France 14.8%, UK 12%, US 11.4%, South Africa 8.2%, Madagascar 7.3%, Italy 6.8%, Spain 4.5% (2016)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.15 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$25.96 billion (2016 est.) | $24.67 billion (2015 est.) | $23.58 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 137

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 73.6% | government consumption: 15.4% | investment in fixed capital: 17.3% | investment in inventories: 3.1% | exports of goods and services: 44.5% | imports of goods and services: -53.9% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 4.1% | industry: 21.9% | services: 74% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$20,500 (2016 est.) | $19,800 (2015 est.) | $19,100 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 85

GDP - real growth rate

3.9% (2016 est.) | 3.5% (2015 est.) | 3.6% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Gross national saving

16.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | 16.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | 17% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$4.408 billion (2016 est.) | $4.524 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners

China 17.7%, India 16.5%, France 7.8%, South Africa 7.5% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (2016 est.) | 1.3% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Labor force

623,300 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and fishing: 8% | construction and industry: 29.8% | transportation and communication: 63.5% | trade, restaurants, hotels: 22% | finance: 6% | other services: 25% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$7.239 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $8.751 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $8.942 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Population below poverty line

8% (2006 est.)

Public debt

65% of GDP (2016 est.) | 62.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$4.967 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $4.26 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Stock of broad money

$13.27 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $12.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

NA

Stock of domestic credit

$13.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $13.28 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Stock of narrow money

$2.833 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.547 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Taxes and other revenues

21.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Unemployment rate

7.2% (2016 est.) | 7.9% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

5.4 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 169

Electricity - consumption

2.68 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Electricity - from fossil fuels

66.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

5.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Electricity - from other renewable sources

29.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.056 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Electricity - production

2.857 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 173

Refined petroleum products - consumption

26,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Refined petroleum products - imports

24,790 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Area

total: 2,040 sq km | land: 2,030 sq km | water: 10 sq km | note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues | country comparison to the world: 181

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

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements

party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

190 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 43.8% | arable land 38.4%; permanent crops 2%; permanent pasture 3.4% | forest: 17.3% | other: 38.9% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines | territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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 cluster are found throught 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

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

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

name: Port Louis | geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E | time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 out of the previous 7 years including the last 12 months

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968 | 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 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius | conventional short form: Mauritius | local long form: Republic of Mauritius | local short form: Mauritius | etymology: island named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, in 1598

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Melanie ZIMMERMAN (since 2016); note - also accredited to Seychelles | embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Avenue, Port Louis | mailing address: international mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 | telephone: [230] 202-4400 | FAX: [230] 208-9534

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sooroojdev PHOKEER (since 3 August 2015) | chancery: 1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; administrative offices at 3201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492 | FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (since 5 June 2015); Vice President Paramaslyum (aka Barlen) Pillay VYAPOORY (since 4 April 2016) | head of government: Prime Minister Pravind JUGNAUTH (since 23 January 2017); note - Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 December 2014) stepped down on 23 January 2017 in favor of his son, Pravind Kumar JUGNAUTH who was then appointed prime minister | cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister | elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; election last held on 4 June 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly | election results: Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (independent) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote

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

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, C, 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, 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 17 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 in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and up to 8 seats allocated to non-elected party candidates by the Electoral Commissioner's Office; members serve a 5-year term) | elections: last held on 10 December 2014 following dissolution of the Assembly on 6 October 2014 (next to be held by 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - Alliance Lepep 49.8%, PTR-MMM 38.5%, FSM 2.1%, OPR 1.1%, other 8.5%; elected seats by party - Alliance Lepep 47, PTR-MMM 13, OPR 2; appointed seats Alliance Lepep 4, PTR-MMM 3

National anthem

name: "Motherland" | lyrics/music: Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL | note: adopted 1968

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 and leaders

Alliance Lepep (Alliance of the People) [Pravind JUGNAUTH] (coalition including MSM, PMSD, and ML) | Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] | Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER] | Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL] | Mauritian Solidarity Front (Front Solidarite Mauricienne) or FSM [Cehl FAKEERMEEAH, known as Cehl MEEAH] | Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] | Muvman Liberater or ML [Ivan COLLENDAVELLOO] | Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Lalit Political Party | Resistance and Alternative (Rezistans ek Alternativ) | Say No to Coal! | other: various labor unions

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has one of Africa's highest per capita incomes.

Military branches

no regular military forces; Mauritius Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2014)

Military expenditures

0.19% of GDP (2016) | 0.18% of GDP (2015) | 0.15% of GDP (2014) | 0.19% of GDP (2013) | 0.14% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 130

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.16% (male 139,721/female 133,765) | 15-24 years: 14.8% (male 101,453/female 99,288) | 25-54 years: 43.74% (male 296,795/female 296,485) | 55-64 years: 11.59% (male 74,650/female 82,585) | 65 years and over: 9.71% (male 53,985/female 77,661) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

13 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Contraceptive prevalence rate

63.8% (2014)

Death rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

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 1860 – 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

total dependency ratio: 41.6 | youth dependency ratio: 27.5 | elderly dependency ratio: 14.1 | potential support ratio: 7.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 99.9% of population | rural: 99.8% of population | total: 99.9% of population | urban: 0.1% of population | rural: 0.2% of population | total: 0.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 123

Ethnic groups

Indo-Mauritian (compose approximately two thirds of the total population), Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian | note: Mauritius has not had a question on ethnicity on its national census since 1972

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

4.8% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 148

Hospital bed density

3.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.8 years | male: 72.4 years | female: 79.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 92.7% | male: 94.9% | female: 90.7% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

PORT LOUIS (capital) 135,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

53 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Median age

total: 35.3 years | male: 34.2 years | female: 36.3 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Nationality

noun: Mauritian(s) | adjective: Mauritian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

10.8% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 137

Physicians density

1.93 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

1,356,388 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Population distribution

population density is one of the highest in the world; urban cluster are found throught 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

Population growth rate

0.59% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

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

urban: 93.9% of population | rural: 92.6% of population | total: 93.1% of population | urban: 6.1% of population | rural: 7.4% of population | total: 6.9% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years | male: 14 years | female: 15 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female | total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.75 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 26.3% | male: 21.6% | female: 32.7% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Urbanization

urban population: 39.4% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.07% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

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, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Mauritius is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Mauritian girls are induced or sold into prostitution, often by peers, family members, or businessmen offering other forms of employment; Mauritian adults have been identified as labor trafficking victims in the UK, Belgium, and Canada, while Mauritian women from Rodrigues Island are also subject to domestic servitude in Mauritius; Malagasy women transit Mauritius en route to the Middle East for jobs as domestic servants and subsequently are subjected to forced labor; Cambodian men are victims of forced labor on foreign fishing vessels in Mauritius’ territorial waters; other migrant workers from East and South Asia and Madagascar are also subject to forced labor in Mauritius’ manufacturing and construction sectors | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Mauritius does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government made modest efforts to address child sex trafficking but none related to adult forced labor; law enforcement lacks an understanding of trafficking crimes outside of child sex trafficking, despite increasing evidence of other forms of human trafficking; authorities made no trafficking prosecutions or convictions and made modest efforts to assist a couple of child sex trafficking victims; officials sustained an extensive public awareness campaign to prevent child sex trafficking, but no efforts were made to raise awareness or reduce demand for forced adult or child labor (2015)

Airports

5 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 182

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

3B (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 4 | by type: passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2010) | country comparison to the world: 133

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 13 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,466,527 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 168.773 million mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Port Louis

Roadways

total: 2,428 km | paved: 2,379 km (includes 99 km of expressways) | unpaved: 49 km (2015) | country comparison to the world: 173