Is prostitution legal in Mauritania?
Illegal
Prostitution is illegal in Mauritania with estimated 315 sex workers.
Mauritania is one of 105 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 48% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Prostitution in Africa
- Last checked
- 7 July 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Senegal
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated in Senegal since 1969 with registration and health requirements.
- The Gambia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal though it is widespread, especially involving foreign workers.
- Guinea-Bissau
- Decriminalized / unregulated Prostitution is common in Guinea-Bissau with no specific prostitution laws.
- Mali
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal in Mali but third-party activities like procuring are illegal.
- Guinea
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Guinea with estimated 8,357 sex workers.
- Sierra Leone
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal but soliciting and third-party involvement are prohibited under the Sexual Offences Act 2012.
Other laws in Mauritania
- Same-Sex Activity
- Death penalty possible
- Marriage Age
- 18+
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.