Mali
Republic of Mali
Population
22.63M
Area
1,240,192 km²
GDP
$26.59B
GDP Per Capita
$2,900
Pop. Density
18/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
FrWest African CFA franc(XOF)
Calling Code
+223
Timezone
UTC
Languages
French
Driving Side
right
Demonym
Malian
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.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑226.3% since 2006Population
↑75.0% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 60.4 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography21
Location
interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger
Geographic coordinates
17 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 1,220,190 sq km
water: 20,002 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
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
Elevation
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m
mean elevation: 343 m
Natural resources
gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
3,780 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km)
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)
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Major aquifers
Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Taodeni-Tanezrouft Basin
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
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
People & Society36
Population
male: 10,999,331
female: 11,635,092
Nationality
adjective: Malian
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.)
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.)
Age structure
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)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 92.3 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 6.2 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 16.2 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 15.7 years
female: 17.1 years
Population growth rate
2.88% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
39.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
7.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-2.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (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
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
2.929 million BAMAKO (capital) (2023)
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
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.2 years (2018 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
367 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 62.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 60.9 years
female: 65.6 years
Total fertility rate
5.26 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
2.59 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 5.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density
0.2 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
8.6% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 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.)
Tobacco use
male: 13.1% (2025 est.)
female: 0.6% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
15% (2024 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
79.2% (2018 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 53.7% (2018)
men married by age 18: 2.1% (2018)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 17.8% national budget (2024 est.)
Literacy
male: 46.2% (2018 est.)
female: 25.7% (2018 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 8 years (2017 est.)
female: 6 years (2017 est.)
Government23
Country name
conventional long form
conventional short form
local long form
local short form
former
etymology
Government type
semi-presidential republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
Administrative divisions
Legal system
civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts
Constitution
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mali
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
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%
Legislative branch
legislature name
legislative structure
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
most recent election date
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
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
Political parties
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://www.maliembassy.us/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
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
Independence
22 September 1960 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 September (1960)
Flag
history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement
National symbol(s)
Great Mosque of Djenne
National color(s)
green, yellow, red
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO
history: adopted 1962
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)
Economy30
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $67.857 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $64.8 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.7% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3.5% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $2,900 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $2,800 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$26.588 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 2.1% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 9.6% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 22.7% (2024 est.)
services: 36.7% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
maize, rice, millet, sorghum, onions, okra, sugarcane, cotton, mangoes/guavas, sweet potatoes (2023)
Industries
food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining
Industrial production growth rate
-2.4% (2024 est.)
Labor force
9.126 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 3% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 2.4% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 4% (2024 est.)
female: 3.9% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
44.6% (2021 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 28.3% (2021 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 4.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $3.563 billion (2020 est.)
Public debt
Taxes and other revenues
12% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2022: -$1.475 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$1.469 billion (2021 est.)
Exports
Exports 2022: $5.855 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $5.381 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
UAE 73%, Switzerland 15%, Australia 5%, China 1%, Uganda 1% (2023)
Exports - commodities
gold, cotton, oil seeds, fertilizers, gum resins (2023)
Imports
Imports 2022: $7.942 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $7.596 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
Cote d'Ivoire 25%, Senegal 19%, China 12%, France 5%, Burkina Faso 4% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cement, cotton fabric, plastic products (2023)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy6
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 99.7%
electrification - rural areas: 18.3%
Electricity
consumption: 4.261 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 661.63 million kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 880 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 320.616 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 3.5% 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.)
Coal
Petroleum
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (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
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)
Transportation4
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
TZ, TT
Airports
30 (2025)
Heliports
4 (2025)
Railways
narrow gauge: 593 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
Military & Security6
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 expenditures
Military Expenditures 2023: 4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 3.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 3.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
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, Türkiye, and the UAE (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 - note
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)
Transnational Issues1
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 378,363 (2024 est.)