Mali
Mali⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Present-day Mali is named after the Mali Empire that ruled the region between the 13th and 16th centuries. At its peak in the 14th century, it was the largest and wealthiest empire in West Africa and controlled an area about twice the size of modern-day France. Primarily a trading empire, Mali derived its wealth from gold and maintained several goldfields and trade routes in the Sahel. The empire also influenced West African culture through the spread of its language, laws, and customs, but by the 16th century, it had fragmented into mostly small chiefdoms. The Songhai Empire, previously a Mali dependency centered in Timbuktu, gained prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries. Under Songhai rule, Timbuktu became a large commercial center, well-known for its scholarship and religious teaching. Timbuktu remains a center of culture in West Africa today. In the late 16th century, the Songhai Empire fell to Moroccan invaders and disintegrated into independent sultanates and kingdoms.
France, expanding from Senegal, seized control of the area in the 1890s and incorporated it into French West Africa as French Sudan. In 1960, French Sudan gained independence from France and became the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, the remaining area was renamed the Republic of Mali. Mali saw 31 years of dictatorship until 1991, when a military coup led by Amadou Toumani TOURE ousted the government, established a new constitution, and instituted a multi-party democracy. Alpha Oumar KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who won a second term in 2007.
In 2012, rising ethnic tensions and an influx of fighters -- some linked to Al-Qa’ida -- from Libya led to a rebellion and military coup. Following the coup, rebels expelled the military from the country’s three northern regions, allowing terrorist organizations to develop strongholds in the area. With a 2013 French-led military intervention, the Malian government managed to retake most of the north. However, the government’s grasp in the region remains weak with local militias, terrorists, and insurgent groups competing for control. In 2015, the Malian Government and northern rebels signed an internationally mediated peace accord. Despite a 2017 target for implementation of the agreement, the signatories have made little progress. Terrorist groups were left out of the peace process, and terrorist attacks remain common.
Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA won the Malian presidential elections in 2013 and 2018. Aside from security and logistic shortfalls, international observers deemed these elections credible. Terrorism, banditry, ethnic-based violence, and extra-judicial military killings plagued the country during KEITA’s second term. In 2020, the military arrested KEITA, his prime minister, and other senior members of the government and established a military junta called the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP). The junta then established a transition government and appointed Bah N’DAW, a retired army officer and former defense minister, as interim president and Colonel Assimi GOITA, the coup leader and chairman of the CNSP, as interim vice president. The transition government’s charter allowed it to rule for up to 18 months before calling a general election.
In 2021, GOITA led a military takeover, arresting the interim president after a Cabinet shake-up removed GOITA’s key allies. GOITA was sworn in as transition president, and Choguel Kokalla MAIGA was sworn in as prime minister. In 2022, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on the transition government, and member states closed their borders with Mali after the transition government presented a five-year extension to the electoral calendar. The transition government and ECOWAS agreed to a new two-year timeline, which would have included presidential elections in February 2024, but the transition government postponed the elections indefinitely in September 2023 and withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2024.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 1,220,190 sq km
- Water
- 20,002 sq km
- Total
- 1,240,192 sq km
- Climate
- subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
- Terrain
- mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Land Use
- Other
- 55.8% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 35.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 6.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 28.4% (2023 est.)
- Location
- interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Senegal River 23 m
- Highest point
- Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
- Mean elevation
- 343 m
- Irrigated land
- 3,780 sq km (2012)
- Major aquifers
- Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Taodeni-Tanezrouft Basin
- Map references
- Africa
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 7,908 km
- Border countries
- Algeria 1,359 km; Burkina Faso 1,325 km; Cote d'Ivoire 599 km; Guinea 1,062 km; Mauritania 2,236 km; Niger 838 km, Senegal 489 km
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- Natural hazards
- hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding
- Geography note
- landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan
- Natural resources
- gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower
- Area comparative
- slightly less than twice the size of Texas
- Geographic coordinates
- 17 00 N, 4 00 W
- Population distribution
- the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso, as shown in this population distribution map
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Lac Faguibine - 590 sq km
note - the Niger River is the only source of water for the lake; in recent years the lake is dry
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Senegal (456,397 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Niger, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km; Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Senegal, and Mauritania [m]) - 1,641 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 46.2% (2018 est.)
- Female
- 25.7% (2018 est.)
- Total population
- 35.5% (2018 est.)
- Languages
- Bambara (official), French 17.2%, Peuhl/Foulfoulbe/Fulani 9.4%, Dogon 7.2%, Maraka/Soninke 6.4%, Malinke 5.6%, Sonrhai/Djerma 5.6%, Minianka 4.3%, Tamacheq 3.5%, Senoufo 2.6%, Bobo 2.1%, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.7% (2009 est.)
- Religions
- Muslim 93.9%, Christian 2.8%, animist 0.7%, none 2.5% (2018 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.89 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 39.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 7.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 15.7 years
- Total
- 16.5 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 17.1 years
Population
- Male
- 10,999,331
- Total
- 22,634,423 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 11,635,092
Nationality
- Noun
- Malian(s)
- Adjective
- Malian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 13.1% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 6.9% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 0.6% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 46.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 46.8% (male 5,175,714/female 5,114,128)
- 15 64 years
- 50.1% (male 5,178,742/female 5,842,456)
- 65 years and over
- 3.1% (2024 est.) (male 334,299/female 345,268)
- Ethnic groups
- Bambara 33.3%, Fulani (Peuhl) 13.3%, Sarakole/Soninke/Marka 9.8%, Senufo/Manianka 9.6%, Malinke 8.8%, Dogon 8.7%, Sonrai 5.9%, Bobo 2.1%, Tuareg/Bella 1.7%, other Malian 6%, from members of Economic Community of West Africa 0.4%, other 0.3% (2018 est.)
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 2.1% (2018)
- Women married BY age 15
- 15.9% (2018)
- Women married BY age 18
- 53.7% (2018)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 98.5 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 92.3 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 16.2 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 6.2 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 4.5% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 5.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -2.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.2 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 5.26 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 74.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 83.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 94.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 25.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 16.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 5.3% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 17.8% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 62.6 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 52 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 2.88% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 2.59 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso, as shown in this population distribution map
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 60.9 years
- Female
- 65.6 years
- Total population
- 63.2 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 367 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 49.3% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 67.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 88.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 50.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 32.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 11.4% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 2.929 million BAMAKO (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 8.6% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 19.2 years (2018 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 79.2% (2018 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 15% (2024 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 8 years (2017 est.)
- Total
- 7 years (2017 est.)
- Female
- 6 years (2017 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), yellow, and red
history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement
Capital
- Name
- Bamako
- Etymology
- the origin of the name is unclear, but it comes from the Bambara language and can refer either to a crocodile or to a person's name
- Time difference
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 12 39 N, 8 00 W
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Mali
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest drafted 13 October 2022 and submitted to Transition President Assimi GOITA; final draft completed 1 March 2023; approved by referendum 18 June 2023; validated by Constitutional Court 22 July 2023
Country Name
- Former
- French Sudan, Sudanese Republic, Mali Federation
- Etymology
- name derives from the Mali Empire of the 13th to 16th centuries A.D.; the Mali name may come from a local ethnic group, the Malinke, whose name is derived from the words ma, meaning "mother," and dink, meaning "child" -- a reference to the matrilinear descent of Malinke families
- Local long form
- République de Mali
- Local short form
- Mali
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Mali
- Conventional short form
- Mali
- Independence
- 22 September 1960 (from France)
- Legal system
- civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts
- Government type
- semi-presidential republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of 19 judges organized into judicial, administrative, and accounting sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- Court of Appeal; High Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases of high treason or criminal offenses by the president or ministers while in office); administrative courts (first instance and appeal); commercial courts; magistrate courts; labor courts; juvenile courts; special court of state security
- Judge selection and term of office
- Supreme Court judges appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges selected - 3 each by the president, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; members serve single renewable 7-year terms
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: in 2022, the transition government adopted a charter allowing transition authorities to rule for up to 5 years; in July 2025, the military-appointed National Transitional Council (CNT) unanimously adopted a revised transitional charter that granted transitional president General Assimi GOITA a five-year presidential mandate, renewable indefinitely, following the earlier dissolution of all political parties in May
- Cabinet
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
- Chief of state
- Transition President Assimi GOITA (since 7 June 2021)
- Election results
2018: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (RPM) 41.7%, Soumaila CISSE (URD) 17.8%, other 40.5%; percent of vote in second round - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 67.2%, Soumaila CISSE 32.8%- Head of government
- Transition Prime Minister Abdoulaye MAIGA (since 22 November 2024)
- Most recent election date
- 29 July 2018, with runoff on 12 August 2018
- Election/appointment process
- president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 22 September (1960)
- National color(s)
- green, yellow, red
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Old Towns of Djenné (c); Timbuktu (c); Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons) (m); Tomb of Askia (c)
- Political parties
- African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI
Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-Maliba
Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity, and Justice or ADEMA-PASJ
Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP
Convergence for the Development of Mali or CODEM
Democratic Alliance for Peace or ADP-Maliba
Movement for Mali or MPM
Party for National Renewal (also Rebirth or Renaissance or PARENA)
Rally for Mali or RPM
Social Democratic Convention or CDS
Union for Democracy and Development or UDD
Union for Republic and Democracy or URD
Yéléma
Legislative Branch
- Note
- note 1: the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 after a military coup; the transitional government created a Transitional National Council (CNT) that acts as the transitional government's legislative body; a new constitution was ratified in July 2023 that expanded the military junta's powers, and no plans for legislative elections have been announced
note 2: coup leaders appointed a president and vice president; the president then apportioned CNT seats to various groups and political parties - Chamber name
- Transitional National Council (Conseil national de transition)
- Number of seats
- 147 (all appointed)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- Transitional National Council (Conseil national de transition)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 12/5/2020
- Expected date of next election
- December 2030
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 30.1%
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Le Mali" (Mali)
- History
- adopted 1962
- Lyrics/music
- Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO
- National symbol(s)
- Great Mosque of Djenne
- Administrative divisions
- 19 regions (régions, singular - région), 1 district*; Bamako*, Bandiagara, Bougouni, Dioila, Douentza, Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Kita, Koulikoro, Koutiala, Menaka, Mopti, Nara, Nioro, San, Segou, Sikasso, Taoudenni, Tombouctou (Timbuktu)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 332-6603
- Chancery
- 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 332-2249
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Sékou BERTHE (since 16 September 2022)
- Email address and website
administration@maliembassy.us
https://www.maliembassy.us/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [223] 20-70-24-79
- Embassy
- ACI 2000, Rue 243, (located off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge west of the Bamako central district), Porte 297, Bamako
- Telephone
- [223] 20-70-23-00
- Mailing address
- 2050 Bamako Place, Washington DC 20521-2050
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Rachna KORHONEN (since 16 March 2023)
- Email address and website
ACSBamako@state.gov
https://ml.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, UN Women, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, World Bank Group, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
MALI · LEGISLATURE
Transitional National Council
147 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
147
Majority line
75
Largest party
Alliance for Democracy in Mali
Parties
7
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Assimi Goïta
- Head of State
Abdoulaye Maïga
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $2.841 billion (2020 est.)
- Expenditures
- $3.563 billion (2020 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $6.0B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $5.381 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $5.855 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $6.13 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $7.3B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $7.596 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $7.942 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $8.066 billion (2023 est.)
- Industries
- food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining
- Labor force
- 9.126 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 36% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 36% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 4.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 575.586 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 554.531 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 623.76 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 606.57 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 606.345 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $4.085 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- low-income Saharan economy; recession due to COVID-19 and political instability; extreme poverty; environmentally fragile; high public debt; agricultural and gold exporter; terrorism and warfare are common
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.8%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 2.4% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 3% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 3.1% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- UAE 73%, Switzerland 15%, Australia 5%, China 1%, Uganda 1% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Cote d'Ivoire 25%, Senegal 19%, China 12%, France 5%, Burkina Faso 4% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $3,315
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $2,800 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $2,900 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $2,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.0%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 3.5% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 4.7% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 5% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- maize, rice, millet, sorghum, onions, okra, sugarcane, cotton, mangoes/guavas, sweet potatoes (2023)
- Exports commodities
- gold, cotton, oil seeds, fertilizers, gum resins (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cement, cotton fabric, plastic products (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$1.2B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2021
- -$1.469 billion (2021 est.)
- Current account balance 2022
- -$1.475 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$1.61 billion (2023 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 12% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $26.588 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 71.9% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 13.1% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -0.7% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 21.6% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 22.5% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -28.4% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 44.6% (2021 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.2%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 9.6% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 2.1% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 3.2% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -2.4% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $71.253 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $64.8 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $67.857 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $71.253 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 4% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 4% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 3.9% (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 22.7% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 36.7% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 33.4% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 3.2% (2021 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 28.3% (2021 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2021
- 35.7 (2021 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 36 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 46,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 661.63 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 880 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 4.261 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 1.222 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 320.616 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 18.3%
- Electrification urban areas
- 99.7%
- Electrification total population
- 53% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 4.307 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 3.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 57.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 37.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 35% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- national public TV broadcaster; 2 privately owned companies provide subscription services to foreign multi-channel TV packages; national public radio broadcaster supplemented by a large number of privately owned and community broadcast stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)
- Internet country code
- .ml
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 307,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 1 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 25.9 million (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 112 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 179,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 1 (2022 est.)
Transport
- Airports
- 30 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 593 km (2014)
- Narrow gauge
- 593 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
- Heliports
- 4 (2025)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- TZ, TT
Environment
- Climate
- subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
Land Use
- Other
- 55.8% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 35.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 6.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 28.4% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 46.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 1.937 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 10.4% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; loss of pasture land; inadequate supplies of potable water
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 107 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 5.075 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 6.858 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 83 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 6.858 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 48.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 120 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- Nuclear Test Ban
Military & Security
- Military note
- the FAMa is responsible for the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory, but also has some domestic security duties, including the maintenance of public order and support to law enforcement; it also participates in socio-economic development projects; the military has traditionally played a large role in Mali’s politics; prior to the coup in August 2020 and military takeover in May 2021, it had intervened in the political arena at least five times since the country gained independence in 1960 (1968, 1976, 1978, 1991, 2012)
the FAMa and other security forces are actively engaged in combat operations against several insurgent/terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), as well as other armed rebel organizations, communal militias, and criminal bands spread across the central, northern, and southern regions of the country; a large portion of the country--up to 50% by some estimates--is outside of government control
the FAMa and the remainder of the security forces collapsed in 2012 during the fighting against Tuareg rebels and Islamic militants and were rebuilt beginning in 2013 with external assistance from the EU and the UN; the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) ended their missions in 2023 and 2024, respectively; France intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to assist with regaining the northern half of the country from rebel and Islamic militant groups; French troops withdrew in 2022; since 2021, Mali has increased security ties with Russia, which has provided equipment, training, and other forms of military support (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.2%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 3.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 3.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 4% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 4.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Malian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Maliennes or FAMa): Army (l’Armée de Terre), Air Force (l’Armée de l’Air); National Guard (la Garde Nationale du Mali); National Gendarmerie of Mali (Gendarmerie Nationale du Mali) (2025)
- Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for men and women for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 24-month compulsory service obligation (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the FAMa's inventory includes mostly Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with smaller quantities of more modern material from a variety of suppliers, including France, Russia, South Africa, Türkiye, and the UAE (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- information varies; estimated 35-40,000 active FAMa, Gendarmerie, and National Guard (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Ansar al-Dine; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS); Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM); al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 378,363 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 135,827 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index24.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4151 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.15as of 2024-Q4121 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (25/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.410as of 2022—2022
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Mali — vintage 2026-Q1: Mali factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/mali
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata