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
Total: 2,040 km²
Land: 2,030 km²
Water: 10 km²
Note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Comparative: almost 11 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

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
Highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 43% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 37.6% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 2% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 3.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 19.2% (2023 est.)
Other: 37.8% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 143 km² (2022)

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

Population
Total: 1,310,504 (2024 est.)
Male: 639,270
Female: 671,234
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
Growth rate: 0.07% (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.)

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
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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 40.9 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 21.2 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 19.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 5.1 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 38.1 years
Female: 41 years

Population growth rate: 0.07% (2024 est.)

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

Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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
Urban population: 40.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 149,000 PORT LOUIS (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
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
Total: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 72.6 years
Female: 78.4 years

Total fertility rate: 1.36 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.6% (2023 est.); 6.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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)
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

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Dharam GOKHOOL (since 7 December 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister Navin RAMGOOLAM (since 13 November 2024)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Election/appointment process: president and vice 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
Most recent election date: 7 November 2019
2019: Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote
2015: Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (independent) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote
Expected date of next election: 2024

Legislative branch
Legislature name: National Assembly - Assemblée nationale
Legislative structure: unicameral
Chamber name: National Assembly
Number of seats: 67 (62 directly elected; 4 appointed)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 11/10/2024
Parties elected and seats per party: Alliance Du Changement (Alliance for Change, AdC) (60); Other (2)
Percentage of women in chamber: 17.9%
Expected date of next election: October 2,029

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

National anthem
Title: 'Motherland'
Lyrics/music: Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
History: adopted 1968

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 4.7% (2024 est.); 5% (2023 est.); 8.7% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 4.7% (2024 est.); 5% (2023 est.); 8.7% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.6% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 14.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 46.2% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -57.8% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.3% (2024 est.)
Industry: 17.8% (2024 est.)
Services: 64.4% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 594,900 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.6% (2023 est.); 6.4% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.6% (2023 est.); 6.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $3.801 billion (2024 est.)
Expenditures: $5.042 billion (2024 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 20.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $6.381 billion (2023 est.); $6.138 billion (2022 est.); $4.213 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: fish, garments, raw sugar, fertilizers, diamonds (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $8.027 billion (2023 est.); $8.052 billion (2022 est.); $6.057 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, fish, coal, packaged medicine (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 955,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 3.084 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 179.996 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 99%
Access electrification - rural areas: 100%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 82.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 9.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 651,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 610,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 28,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 5.551 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 1.495 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 4.056 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 60.188 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 464,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 2.1 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 161 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 80% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 343,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2023 est.)

Airports: 5 (2025)

Heliports: 1 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 32 (2023)
By type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 27