Mauritania CBDC Tracker

CBDC Information

CBDC Status

Research

Economic Information

GDP

$17,765,270,015

Population

520,008

Government Information

Form of Government

Electoral Autocracy/10

Rule Of Law

6.92/10

Freedom Rankings

Cato and Fraser Human Freedom Index:

8.2/10

Freedom House Index:

8.9/10

Reporters Without Borders Freedom Index:

5.98/10

Mauritania is in the research phase. The Banque Centrale de Mauritania announced in 2024 that it would be investigating whether to launch a CBDC.

CBDC History and Development

In 2024, it was reported that Banque Centrale de Mauritania signed a deal with the company Giesecke+Devrient to work on a joint CBDC investigation. In a press release, Mohamed Lemine Ould Dhehby, governor of the Banque Centrale de Mauritania, said, “The Banque Centrale de Mauritania has strategically positioned itself for the potential launch of a digital currency. Through the exploratory work we have now agreed, we are expanding our knowledge base, skills, and experience.”

Human Rights and Civil Liberties Concerns

Mauritania earned a 36 out of 100 in Freedom House’s 2023 Freedom in the World report. As Freedom House noted in the report, discrimination and corruption remain issues for Mauritania. The issuance or adoption of a CBDC in Mauritania could worsen these issues.

Freedom House reported that “Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Mauritania and punishable by death for men.” In response, “LGBT+ individuals generally hide their sexual orientation or gender identity due to severe persecution.” Freedom House also reported that racial, gender, and ethnic discrimination remain serious problems in Mauritania. Unfortunately, CBDCs are particularly concerning with discrimination because they could be used to identify and surveil members of discriminated communities.

“Corruption is widespread,” according to Freedom House. “Public contracts are typically awarded in exchange for bribes or on the basis of patronage.” The existence of pervasive corruption is a major concern with CBDCs because it calls into question any promises that might be made by the government to limit surveillance, control, or other risks of CBDCs. Furthermore, the existence of corruption calls into question whether CBDC policies might be designed to exert political favoritism through subsidies, price controls, or other targeted restrictions.

For additional information on concerns regarding violations of human rights and civil liberties, see the following reports by Amnesty International, Financial Tyranny Index, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Privacy International, and the U.S. Department of State. For additional information on concerns regarding the risks of CBDCs, see the following webpage and report by the Cato Institute: The Risks of CBDCs and Central Bank Digital Currency: Assessing the Risks and Dispelling the Myths.

For additional information regarding metrics, the methodology page explains each of the data points and provides their respective sources.