Mauritius

parliamentary republic

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

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 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: 6 December 2024 election results: 2019 : Prithvirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) elected president by the National Assembly - unanimous vote expected date of next election: 2029

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 2029

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 24 puisne judges) 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 note: the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal

history: several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968 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

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

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)

key security priorities for the Maritius Police Force (MPF) include combating narcotics trafficking, ensuring public order, fighting cybercrime, improving maritime security, and responding to natural disasters; the MPF's primary security partner is India, which provides training and other support to the National Coast Guard, while Indian naval vessels often patrol the country's waters; the MPF has also received assistance and training from France, the UK, and the US the Special Mobile Force was created in 1960 following the withdrawal of the British garrison (2025)

$34.406 billion (2024 est.) $32.864 billion (2023 est.) $31.296 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$27,300 (2024 est.) $26,100 (2023 est.) $24,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

4.7% (2024 est.) 5% (2023 est.) 8.7% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

3.6% (2024 est.) 7.1% (2023 est.) 10.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

58% of GDP (2019 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$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

$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

5.5% (2024 est.) 5.6% (2023 est.) 6.4% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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

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

sugarcane, chicken, pumpkins/squash, tomatoes, eggs, potatoes, cabbages, bananas, onions, cucumbers/gherkins (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 1,311,375 (2025 est.) male: 639,707 female: 671,668

0.06% (2025 est.)

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)

9.73 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 75.4 years (2024 est.) male: 72.6 years female: 78.4 years

urban population: 40.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

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.)

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.)

total population: 94.3% (2023 est.) male: 96.3% (2023 est.) female: 92.8% (2023 est.)

arable land, fish

refugees: 82 (2024 est.) IDPs: 39 (2024 est.)

5 (2025)

total: 32 (2023) by type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 27

total subscriptions: 2.2 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 173 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 80% (2023 est.)