2025 Edition Primary

Background

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.  </p> <p>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.  <br><br>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.</p>

Area

Land

1,220,190 sq km

Total

1,240,192 sq km

Water

20,002 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Continent

Africa

Elevation

Highest point

Hombori Tondo 1,155 m

Lowest point

Senegal River 23 m

Mean elevation

343 m

Geographic coordinates

17 00 N, 4 00 W

Geography - note

landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan

Irrigated land

3,780 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

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

number of neighbors

7

Total

7,908 km

Land use

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.)

arable land

6.84%

Forest

8.8% (2023 est.)

Other

55.8% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

0.24%

Landlocked

Yes

Location

interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger

Major aquifers

Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Taodeni-Tanezrouft Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lac Faguibine - 590 sq km<br>note - the Niger River is the only source of water for the lake; in recent years the lake is dry

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<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Senegal (456,397 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)

Map links

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/u9mYJkCB19wyuzh27

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/192785

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding

Natural resources

gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower

note

<strong>note: </strong>bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited

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

Subregion

Western Africa

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast

Time zone

UTC

number of time zones

1

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

Beer

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols

0.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Total

0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

39.44 births/1,000 population (2025 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)

Children under 5 years underweight

25.1%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

15% (2024 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

79.2% (2018 est.)

Death rate

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

adult female

220 per 1,000

adult male

279 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio

6.2 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

16.2 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

98.5 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

92.3 (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.)

Education expenditures

4 % of GDP

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.59 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

4 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.5% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

5.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.25%

Hospital bed density

0.2 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Female

52 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

62.6 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

32 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 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.)

languages

French

note

<strong>note:</strong> Mali has 13 national languages in addition to its official language

number of languages

1

Life expectancy at birth

Female

65.6 years

Male

60.9 years

Total population

63.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

Female

25.7% (2018 est.)

Male

46.2% (2018 est.)

Total population

35.5% (2018 est.)

Major urban areas - population

2.929 million BAMAKO (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

367 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

Female

17.1 years

Male

15.7 years

Total

16.5 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.2 years (2018 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

Adjective

Malian

Noun

Malian(s)

Net migration rate

-2.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.6% (2016)

Physician density

0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

Female

11,635,092

Male

10,999,331

Total

22,634,423 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.88% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 93.9%, Christian 2.8%, animist 0.7%, none 2.5% (2018 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved total

20.01%

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Female

6 years (2017 est.)

Male

8 years (2017 est.)

Total

7 years (2017 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.97 male(s)/female

At birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

Female

0.6% (2025 est.)

Male

13.1% (2025 est.)

Total

6.9% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.26 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization

4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

46.2% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles

72%

Administrative divisions

19 regions (<em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>), 1 district*; Bamako*, Bandiagara, Bougouni, Dioila, Douentza, Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Kita, Koulikoro, Koutiala, Menaka, Mopti, Nara, Nioro, San, Segou, Sikasso, Taoudenni, Tombouctou (Timbuktu)

Capital

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

Geographic coordinates

12 39 N, 8 00 W

Name

Bamako

Time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Coat of arms

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/ml.svg

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

alternative spellings

ML, Republic of Mali, République du Mali

Conventional long form

Republic of Mali

Conventional short form

Mali

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 <em>ma</em>, meaning "mother," and <em>dink</em>, meaning "child" -- a reference to the matrilinear descent of Malinke families

FIFA code

MLI

Former

French Sudan, Sudanese Republic, Mali Federation

Local long form

R&eacute;publique de Mali

local long form (fra)

République du Mali

Local short form

Mali

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission

Ambassador Rachna KORHONEN (since 16 March 2023)

Email address and website

<br>ACSBamako@state.gov<br><br>https://ml.usembassy.gov/

Embassy

ACI 2000, Rue 243, (located off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge west of the Bamako central district), Porte 297, Bamako

FAX

[223] 20-70-24-79

Mailing address

2050 Bamako Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-2050

Telephone

[223] 20-70-23-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery

2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Chief of mission

Ambassador S&eacute;kou BERTHE (since 16 September 2022)

Email address and website

<br>administration@maliembassy.us<br><br>https://www.maliembassy.us/

FAX

[1] (202) 332-6603

Telephone

[1] (202) 332-2249

Executive branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

Chief of state

Transition President Assimi GOITA (since 7 June 2021)

Election results

<em><br>2018</em>: 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%

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

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

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

Flag

<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of green (left side), yellow, and red<br><br><strong>history:</strong> uses the colors of the Pan-African movement

note

<strong>note:</strong> the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Senegal (which has an additional green central star) and the reverse of the flag of neighboring Guinea

Flag description

The flag of Mali is composed of three equal vertical bands of green, yellow and red.

Flag image

svg

https://flagcdn.com/ml.svg

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

22 September 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supr&ecirc;me (consists of 19 judges organized into judicial, administrative, and accounting sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

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

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

Legal system

civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts

Legislative branch

Chamber name

Transitional National Council (Conseil national de transition)

Electoral system

plurality/majority

Expected date of next election

December 2030

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

Transitional National Council (Conseil national de transition)

Most recent election date

12/5/2020

Note

<strong>note 1:</strong> 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<br><strong>note 2:</strong> coup leaders appointed a president and vice president; the president then apportioned CNT seats to various groups and political parties

Number of seats

147 (all appointed)

Percentage of women in chamber

30.1%

Scope of elections

full renewal

National color(s)

green, yellow, red

National heritage

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Old Towns of Djenné (c); Timbuktu (c); Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons) (m); Tomb of Askia (c)

Total World Heritage Sites

4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 September (1960)

National symbol(s)

Great Mosque of Djenne

Political parties

African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI<br>Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-Maliba<br>Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity, and Justice or ADEMA-PASJ<br>Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP<br>Convergence for the Development of Mali or CODEM <br>Democratic Alliance for Peace or ADP-Maliba<br>Movement for Mali or MPM<br>Party for National Renewal (also Rebirth or Renaissance or PARENA)<br>Rally for Mali or RPM <br>Social Democratic Convention or CDS<br>Union for Democracy and Development or UDD<br>Union for Republic and Democracy or URD<br>Yéléma

note

<strong>note 1:  </strong>only parties with 2 or more seats in the last National Assembly parliamentary elections (30 March and 19 April 2020) included<br><strong><br>note 2:</strong>  the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 following a military coup and replaced with a National Transition Council; currently 121 members, party affiliations unknown

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

UN Member

Yes

Agricultural products

maize, rice, millet, sorghum, onions, okra, sugarcane, cotton, mangoes/guavas, sweet potatoes (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

Expenditures

$3.563 billion (2020 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

Currency

code

XOF

name

West African CFA franc (XOF) [Fr]

Current account balance

$-1,610,328,886

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$6.44 billion

Debt - external 2023

$4.085 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

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.)

Exports

$6.05 billion

Exports 2021

$5.381 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$5.855 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$6.13 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, cotton, oil seeds, fertilizers, gum resins (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

UAE 73%, Switzerland 15%, Australia 5%, China 1%, Uganda 1% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows

$921.04 million

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services

22.5% (2024 est.)

Government consumption

13.1% (2024 est.)

Household consumption

71.9% (2024 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-28.4% (2024 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

21.6% (2024 est.)

Investment in inventories

-0.7% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture

33.4% (2024 est.)

Industry

22.7% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

36.7% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$26.588 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$1,095

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

33 (2009)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

35.7 (2021 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

GNI (gross national income)

$26.08 billion

GNI per capita

$1,030

Gross domestic investment

20 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%

28.3% (2021 est.)

Lowest 10%

3.2% (2021 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$7.32 billion

Imports 2021

$7.596 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$7.942 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$8.066 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cement, cotton fabric, plastic products (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Cote d'Ivoire 25%, Senegal 19%, China 12%, France 5%, Burkina Faso 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-2.4% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.21%

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

9.126 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

9.16 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

63.01%

industry

8.59%

services

28.4%

Population below poverty line

44.6% (2021 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2016

36% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$81.14 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

Real GDP growth rate

4.99%

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

Real GDP per capita

$3,315

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

Remittances

$1.07 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

Taxes and other revenues

12% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

2.83%

Note

<b>note:</b> % 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.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female

3.9% (2024 est.)

Male

4% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

4% (2024 est.)

Coal

Imports

36 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption

4.261 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Exports

661.63 million kWh (2023 est.)

Imports

880 million 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 - total population

53% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

99.7%

Electricity generation sources

Biomass and waste

1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

57.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

56.56%

Hydroelectricity

37.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

62.29%

Solar

3.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

4.307 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption

46,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

71.1%

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants

1 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2022 est.)

Total

179,000 (2022 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

Internet users

Percent of population

35% (2023 est.)

Telephone calling code

+223

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

307,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100

112 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

112 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

25.9 million (2022 est.)

Airports

30 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TZ, TT

Driving side

Right

Heliports

4 (2025)

Railways

Narrow gauge

593 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

Total

593 km (2014)

Vehicle registration code

RMM

Land forces

armored vehicles

tanks

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)<br><br>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<br><br>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 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)

active duty personnel

41,000

note

<strong>note 1:</strong> the Gendarmerie and the National Guard are under the authority of the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs (Ministere De La Defense Et Des Anciens Combattants, MDAC), but operational control is shared with the Ministry of Internal Security and Civil Protection which also controls the National Police; the National Police has responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order in urban areas and supports the FAMa in internal military operations<br><br><strong>note 2: </strong>the Gendarmerie's primary mission is internal security and public order; its duties also include territorial defense, humanitarian operations, intelligence gathering, and protecting private property, mainly in rural areas; it also has a specialized border security unit<br><br><strong>note 3: </strong>the National Guard is a military force responsible for providing security to government facilities and institutions, prison service, public order, humanitarian operations, some border security, and intelligence gathering; its forces include a camel corps for patrolling the deserts and borders of northern Mali<br><br><strong>note 4: </strong>there are also pro-government militias operating in Mali, such as the Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA); the leader of GATIA is also a general in the national army

percent of total labor force

0.54 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; estimated 35-40,000 active FAMa, Gendarmerie, and National Guard (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, T&uuml;rkiye, and the UAE (2025)

Military expenditures

4 % of GDP

current USD

$929,278,521

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.)

percent of central government expenditure

16.65 %

percent of GDP

4.20 % of GDP

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 strength ranking

PowerIndex score

2.2598

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

378,363 (2024 est.)

Refugees

135,827 (2024 est.)

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)

note

<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Carbon dioxide emissions

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.)

Total emissions

6.858 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; loss of pasture land; inadequate supplies of potable water

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

Particulate matter emissions

48.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

8 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

6 % of total

Total renewable water resources

120 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

9 % of internal resources

Agricultural

5.075 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

107 million cubic meters (2022 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.)