Mali Flag

Mali

Capital:
Bamako
Continent:
Africa
Largest Cities:
Bamako, Sikasso, Mopti
Abbreviation:
MLI

Mali is a country in Africa, known for ancient Timbuktu and the Niger River. It has a population of over 25 million, making it the 58th largest country in the world. Its official language is Portuguese, and the capital is Bamako. Mali has a agricultural economy with growing gold mining sector.

25.2M
Total Population
58
Population Rank
20.65
Density (km²)
720.2K 3.02%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Mali

Mali's population structure shows a nearly equal male to female ratio of 1.02 to 1, with a median male age of 16.56 years old and a median female age of 16.64 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 18 and 19 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Mali Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Mali Population Clock

Mali Population*
24,911,802
Births per Day
2,702
Deaths per Day
578
Emigrations per Day
131
Net Change per Day
1,993
2025 Population Change*
73,741

* As of 2/6/2025

1 birth

Every 32.0 seconds

1 death

Every 2.5 minutes

1 emigrant

Every 11.0 minutes

1 person

Every 43.4 seconds

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Bamako1,297,281
Sikasso144,786
Mopti108,456

Mali Overview

Mali is a large, landlocked country in West Africa with more than 1.24 million square kilometers (480,000 square miles) of land. In 2012, an armed conflict broke out and Tuareg rebels took control, declaring secession of a new state, Azawad. While it was recaptured, negotiations are expected to take place.

Mali Demographics

The people of Mali are comprised of several sub-Saharan ethnic groups. The largest is the Bambara, accounting for 37% of the population. While the official language of Mali is French, 80% of people speak Bambara and there are at least 40 African languages in use. The Bambara, Sonike, Khassonke and Malinke are part of the larger Mande group, which accounts for half of the country’s population. Other large ethnic groups include the Fula (17%), Voltaic (12%), Songhai (6%) and the Tuareg and Moor (10%).

Mali Religion, Economy and Politics

Mali is considered an Islamic society, with over 90% of the population practicing Islam. Most Muslim people in Mali are Sunni, but there are also Ahmadiyya and Shia communities present. The small non-muslim population is split pretty evenly between Christians, and those practicing indigenous beliefs.

The economy in Mali is largely based in rural agriculture, which occupies 70% of their workforce, and their economy is doing very poorly. Mali is both one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, as well as on a list of 37 very poor, and also very indebted countries, and they rely heavily on foreign aid.

Mali Population History

Mali was considered an empire until around the 14th century when the Songhai Empire took control of the gold trade in the important trading city of Timbuktu. Moroccans took the land from the Songhai in the late 16th century. The French advanced on Mali in the 19th century, beginning religious wars in the area. The French gained total control in 1898, and the country was called French Sudan. Mali became a free, socialist state in 1960, and later became a democracy in the 1990s.