Is prostitution legal in Mauritania?

Illegal

Prostitution is explicitly stated to be illegal in Mauritania.

Mauritania is one of 101 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 46% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)

Source

Taken from
Wikipedia: Prostitution in Africa
Last checked
17 September 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 with specific requirements for registration and health checks.
The Gambia
Illegal Prostitution is explicitly stated to be illegal in The Gambia.
Mali
Legal & regulated Prostitution is explicitly stated to be legal in Mali, though third-party activities are illegal.
Guinea
Illegal Prostitution is explicitly stated to be illegal in Guinea.
Sierra Leone
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal in Sierra Leone, though soliciting and third-party involvement are prohibited.
Morocco
Illegal Selling sex has been illegal since the 1970s.

Other laws in Mauritania

Same-Sex Activity
Death penalty possible
Age of Consent
18+
Marriage Age
18+

Every law in Mauritania → · Where is sex work legal? →

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.