Demographic features of the population of Mali include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
According to the 2022 general population and housing census, the population of Mali numbered around 22.4 million people.
Population
In , Mali's population was an estimated , with an annual growth rate of 2.7%.CIA world factbook. This figure can be compared to 4,638,000 in 1950. The population is predominantly rural (69.7% in 2022), and 2% of Malians are nomadic. Approximately 90% of the population lives in the southern and central regions of the country. The capital district, Bamako, alone has over 4 million residents and holds 19% of the country's population. Despite constituting 57% of Mali's land area, the northern regions of the country in the Sahara are sparsely populated because of the harsh desert climate, which can only support transhumance and nomadism.
In 2007, about 48% of Malians were less than 15 years old, 49% were 15–64 years old, and 3% were 65 and older. The median age was 15.9 years. The birth rate in 2007 was 49.6 births per 1,000, and the total fertility rate was 7.4 children per woman.
The death rate in 2007 was 16.5 deaths per 1,000. Life expectancy at birth was 49.5 years total (47.6 for males and 51.5 for females). Mali has one of the world's highest rates of infant mortality,Mali country profile. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (January 2005). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. with 48 deaths per 1,000 live births. However, this figure has declined substantially from a peak of 205 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1966.
The proportion of the population aged below 15 in 2010 was 47.2%. 50.6% of the population were aged between 15 and 65 years of age. 2.2% of the population were aged 65 years or older.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision
The 2022 census recorded a literacy rate of 34.6%. There is a gender gap; 39.4% of Malian males are literate, while only 29.8% of females are. With 62.2% of its population being able to read and write, Bamako has the highest literacy rate in the entire country. The lowest literacy rate in Mali was recorded in the Ménaka Region, where less than one-in-ten residents were literate.
Total populationPopulation aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 19504 638 00038.958.32.8 19554 928 00040.157.42.5 19605 248 00040.557.22.3 19655 597 00041.556.22.3 19706 034 00042.355.22.4 19756 604 00043.354.12.6 19807 246 00044.652.62.8 19858 010 00045.851.32.9 19908 673 00047.549.53.0 19959 825 00047.449.92.8 200011 295 00047.250.32.5 200513 177 00047.150.62.3 201015 370 00047.250.62.2
Structure of the population Structure of the population (census January 2009): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 7 204 990 7 323 672 14 528 662 100 0–4 1 328 871 1 294 514 2 623 385 18.06 5–9 1 202 875 1 154 948 2 357 823 16.23 10–14 918 866 865 138 1 784 004 12.28 15–19 732 526 783 620 1 516 146 10.44 20–24 529 535 612 368 1 141 903 7.86 25–29 449 099 546 603 995 702 6.85 30–34 385 003 427 795 812 798 5.59 35–39 325 005 326 894 651 949 4.49 40–44 271 239 275 364 546 603 3.76 45–49 228 626 217 261 445 887 3.07 50–54 189 424 192 382 381 806 2.63 55–59 148 594 134 083 282 677 1.95 60–64 127 557 123 461 251 018 1.73 65–69 88 292 77 082 165 374 1.14 70–74 67 319 66 063 133 382 0.92 75–79 40 904 36 197 77 101 0.53 80+ 41 992 43 602 85 594 0.59 unknown 129 213 146 297 275 510 1.90Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 3 450 612 3 314 600 6 765 212 46.56 15–64 3 386 658 3 639 831 7 026 489 48.36 65+ 238 507 222 944 461 451 3.18
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (January 2018): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 9 631 376 9 786 721 19 418 097 100 0–4 1 824 718 1 854 149 3 678 867 18.95 5–9 1 481 610 1 505 507 2 987 117 15.38 10–14 1 235 790 1 255 722 2 491 512 12.83 15–19 1 027 744 1 044 321 2 072 065 10.67 20–24 872 370 886 440 1 758 810 9.06 25–29 740 900 752 850 1 493 750 7.69 30–34 608 309 618 121 1 226 430 6.32 35–39 481 340 489 104 970 444 5.00 40–44 363 798 369 665 733 463 3.78 45–49 270 771 275 138 545 909 2.81 50–54 211 869 215 287 427 156 2.20 55–59 172 475 175 257 347 731 1.79 60–64 127 886 129 949 257 835 1.33 65–69 103 184 104 848 208 033 1.07 70–74 60 828 61 809 122 637 0.63 75–79 31 964 32 479 64 443 0.33 80+ 15 820 16 075 31 895 0.16Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 4 542 118 4 615 378 9 157 496 47.16 15–64 4 877 462 4 956 132 9 833 594 50.64 65+ 211 796 215 211 427 007 2.20
Vital statistics Registration of vital events in Mali is not complete. The website Our World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the United Nations. (UN World Population Prospects 2024).
Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 live births)Life expectancy (in years)19504,695,000245,000176,00069,00052.237.514.76.96211.128.1719514,760,000247,000178,00069,00051.837.314.66.96210.228.2919524,825,000249,000178,00070,00051.536.914.66.95208.428.5319534,888,000250,000179,00072,00051.136.514.66.95206.928.7619544,951,000252,000179,00073,00050.836.114.76.94205.528.9719555,015,000254,000180,00074,00050.535.814.76.94204.329.1319565,079,000256,000180,00076,00050.435.514.96.94203.329.3719575,145,000259,000182,00077,00050.235.315.06.95202.529.4719585,209,000262,000183,00079,00050.235.115.16.95201.829.5919595,275,000267,000185,00081,00050.535.115.46.99201.229.6519605,347,000270,000187,00083,00050.535.015.57.00200.629.7519615,420,000274,000189,00084,00050.434.915.57.00200.029.8319625,495,000277,000191,00086,00050.434.815.67.02199.329.9419635,570,000281,000193,00088,00050.434.615.87.03198.430.1519645,647,000285,000194,00091,00050.434.316.17.05197.330.4219655,726,000290,000195,00094,00050.534.116.47.08195.830.6219665,807,000294,000197,00097,00050.633.916.77.10194.030.8719675,888,000299,000198,000101,00050.633.617.17.13191.831.2119685,974,000303,000198,000105,00050.733.117.57.15189.431.6319696,062,000306,000199,000108,00050.432.717.77.17186.932.0519706,154,000310,000198,000112,00050.432.218.27.18183.932.5319716,248,000315,000199,000116,00050.431.818.67.20181.332.9419726,347,000320,000196,000124,00050.330.819.57.20177.833.8619736,455,000326,000195,000131,00050.430.220.37.21174.834.5719746,569,000332,000193,000139,00050.429.321.17.23171.935.4319756,687,000338,000192,000146,00050.528.621.97.24169.036.2319766,808,000344,000189,000155,00050.427.722.77.25165.537.2019776,935,000350,000187,000163,00050.426.923.57.28162.038.1119787,073,000357,000185,000172,00050.426.124.37.30158.539.0619797,218,000365,000183,000182,00050.525.325.27.32155.039.9519807,373,000372,000182,000190,00050.324.725.77.33151.540.7519817,533,000379,000183,000195,00050.124.325.97.32148.241.2219827,696,000383,000183,000200,00049.623.725.97.27144.641.8219837,864,000387,000184,000204,00049.123.325.87.23141.242.1419848,030,000394,000183,000210,00048.922.826.17.22138.042.7019858,188,000399,000183,000216,00048.522.326.27.21134.943.2119868,335,000405,000181,000224,00048.321.626.77.24131.743.9819878,474,000408,000179,000229,00047.821.026.97.25128.944.6919888,617,000413,000176,000237,00047.720.427.37.26126.345.3919898,774,000416,000176,000241,00047.219.927.37.28123.845.8819908,945,000419,000173,000246,00046.719.327.47.25121.846.6219919,124,000430,000172,000258,00047.018.828.27.23119.847.2219929,311,000437,000173,000263,00046.718.528.27.18118.147.5019939,507,000443,000174,000269,00046.418.328.17.12116.547.7319949,712,000452,000177,000275,00046.418.228.27.07115.247.7419959,921,000455,000179,000275,00045.718.027.76.99113.647.82199610,132,000464,000182,000282,00045.717.927.86.95112.147.79199710,359,000477,000180,000297,00045.917.428.66.91110.048.53199810,620,000492,000180,000312,00046.216.929.36.89107.949.16199910,917,000513,000180,000333,00047.016.530.56.88105.549.80200011,239,000530,000180,000350,00047.116.031.16.87102.850.54200111,584,000549,000180,000369,00047.315.531.86.85100.051.28200211,953,000568,000178,000390,00047.514.932.66.8297.152.22200312,342,000588,000178,000410,00047.614.433.26.7894.252.89200412,752,000611,000179,000432,00047.914.033.96.7491.453.54200513,181,000633,000180,000453,00048.013.734.36.7288.754.00200613,624,000649,000180,000469,00047.613.234.46.6986.254.62200714,081,000666,000182,000484,00047.312.934.46.6683.754.94200814,551,000684,000184,000501,00047.012.634.46.6481.255.29200915,033,000705,000183,000521,00046.812.234.66.6178.855.87201015,529,000724,000184,000541,00046.611.834.86.5876.556.38201116,040,000743,000185,000558,00046.211.534.76.5574.256.76201216,515,000762,000186,000576,00045.911.234.76.5272.057.08201317,004,000771,000186,000585,00045.310.934.36.4970.057.36201417,552,000788,000185,000602,00044.810.534.26.4467.857.90201518,113,000804,000185,000619,00044.310.234.16.3965.858.36201618,700,000820,000186,000634,00043.89.933.96.3263.958.73201719,311,000839,000186,000652,00043.49.633.76.2562.159.13201819,934,000856,000188,000668,00042.99.433.56.1860.459.39201920,567,000873,000190,000683,00042.49.233.26.1058.759.66202021,380,000889,000206,000668,00041.09.530.85.8557.165.5202122,048,000911,000208,000681,000 40.79.330.45.7855.463.8202222,729,000931,000204,000687,00040.38.929.85.6957.162.4202323,416,000951,000205,000706,00040.08.629.75.6160.858.63
Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):
Year CBR (Total) TFR (Total) CBR (Urban) TFR (Urban) CBR (Rural) TFR (Rural) 1981–1983 7.10 6.85 7.17 1984–1986 6.73 6.09 6.97 1995–1996 45.1 6.7 (6.0) 39.9 5.4 (4.8) 47.2 7.3 (6.6) 2001 45.1 6.8 (6.1) 42.1 5.5 (4.8) 45.9 7.3 (6.6) 2006 45.2 6.6 (6.0) 41.8 5.4 (5.1) 46.6 7.2 (6.5) 2012–2013 38.8 6.1 (5.3) 36.7 5.0 (4.3) 39.2 6.5 (5.6) 2018 40.9 6.3 (5.5) 36.3 4.9 (4.2) 42.3 6.8 (6.0) 2023–24 42.0 6.0 (5.4) 38.8 5.0 (4.5) 42.9 6.4 (5.8)
Fertility data as of 2012-2013 (DHS Program):
Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49Kayes 6.0 11.3 6.0Koulikoro 6.0 14.3 5.8Sikasso 6.6 11.5 6.2Ségou 6.1 12.2 6.1Mopti 6.5 11.7 5.9Bamako 5.1 6.5 5.1
Urbanisation In 2022, the rate of urbanisation was recorded at 30.3%, up from 18.3% in 1998. Around 62.2% of the entire urban population in Mali resides in the autonomous capital district Bamako alone, followed by Sikasso (6.5%) and Ségou (4.7%). The northern Kidal Region has the highest proportion of urban residents at 32.7% of its population, while the regions of Dioïla, Nara, and Taoudénit are classified as completely rural.
Immigration and emigration Mali had an estimated net migration rate of –6.6 migrants per 1,000 people in 2006.CIA factbook About 3 million Malians are believed to reside in Côte d'Ivoire and France. Conversely, according to a 2003 estimate, Mali hosts about 11,000 Mauritanians; most are Fulani herders who routinely engage in cross-border migration. In addition, there are several thousand refugees from Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in Bamako and other urban areas of Mali.
Ethnic groups