Mali

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 21,444 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 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 (2007)

Internet country code

.ml

Internet users

total: 1,940,978 (July 2016 est.) | percent of population: 11.1% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment: domestic system improving; increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas (2016) | domestic: fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to over 115 per 100 persons (2016) | international: country code - 223; satellite communications center and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 200,812 (July 2016 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2016 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 20,217,697 (July 2016 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (July 2016 est.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats

Budget

revenues: 3.075 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 3.513 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

16% (31 December 2010) | 4.25% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.2% (31 December 2017 est.) | 5.3% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$886 million (2017 est.) | -$1.015 billion (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$4.192 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.981 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

40.1 (2001) | 50.5 (1994)

Economy - overview

Among the 25 poorest countries in the world, landlocked Mali depends on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue. The country's fiscal status fluctuates with gold and agricultural commodity prices and the harvest; cotton and gold exports make up around 80% of export earnings. Mali remains dependent on foreign aid. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River; about 65% of Mali’s land area is desert or semidesert. About 10% of the population is nomadic and about 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. The government subsidizes the production of cereals to decrease the country’s dependence on imported foodstuffs and to reduce its vulnerability to food price shocks. Mali is developing its iron ore extraction industry to diversify foreign exchange earnings away from gold, but the pace will depend on global price trends. Although the political coup in 2012 slowed Mali’s growth, the economy has since bounced back, with GDP growth above 5% in 2014-17, although physical insecurity, high population growth, corruption, weak infrastructure, and low levels of human capital continue to constrain economic development. Higher rainfall helped to boost cotton output in 2017, and the country’s 2017 budget increased spending more than 10%, much of which was devoted to infrastructure and agriculture. Corruption and political turmoil are strong downside risks in 2018 and beyond.

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - | 605.3 (2017 est.) | 593.01 (2016 est.) | 593.01 (2015 est.) | 591.45 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.)

Exports

$3.06 billion (2017 est.) | $2.803 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

cotton, gold, livestock

Exports - partners

Switzerland 31.8%, UAE 15.4%, Burkina Faso 7.8%, Cote dIvoire 7.3%, South Africa 5%, Bangladesh 4.6% (2017)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$15.37 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$41.22 billion (2017 est.) | $39.1 billion (2016 est.) | $36.97 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 82.9% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 17.4% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 19.3% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: -0.7% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 22.1% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -41.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 41.8% (2017 est.) | industry: 18.1% (2017 est.) | services: 40.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,200 (2017 est.) | $2,100 (2016 est.) | $2,100 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

5.4% (2017 est.) | 5.8% (2016 est.) | 6.2% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving

16.5% of GDP (2017 est.) | 15.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 15.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 25.8% (2010 est.) | highest 10%: 25.8% (2010 est.)

Imports

$3.644 billion (2017 est.) | $3.403 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners

Senegal 24.4%, China 13.2%, Cote dIvoire 9%, France 7.3% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

6.3% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.8% (2017 est.) | -1.8% (2016 est.)

Labor force

6.447 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 80% | industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

NA

Population below poverty line

36.1% (2005 est.)

Public debt

35.4% of GDP (2017 est.) | 36% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$647.8 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $395.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money

$3.04 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.553 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$286.2 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $62.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$3.845 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.266 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$5.972 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $4.891 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$3.04 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.553 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.9% (2017 est.) | 7.8% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.388 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

2.982 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

68% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

31% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

800 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

590,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

2.489 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

population without electricity: 11.4 million (2013) | electrification - total population: 26% (2013) | electrification - urban areas: 53% (2013) | electrification - rural areas: 9% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

22,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

20,610 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Area

total: 1,240,192 sq km | land: 1,220,190 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)

Elevation

mean elevation: 343 m | elevation extremes: 23 m lowest point: Senegal River | 1155 highest point: Hombori Tondo

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

total: 7,908 km | border countries (7): Algeria 1359 km, Burkina Faso 1325 km, Cote d'Ivoire 599 km, Guinea 1062 km, Mauritania 2236 km, Niger 838 km, Senegal 489 km

Land use

agricultural land: 34.1% (2011 est.) | arable land: 5.6% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.1% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 28.4% (2011 est.) | forest: 10.2% (2011 est.) | other: 55.7% (2011 est.)

Location

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

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, 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

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

8 regions (regions, singular - region), 1 district*; District de Bamako*, Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou (Timbuktu); note - two new regions, Menaka and Taoudenni, were reportedly created in early 2016, but these have not yet been vetted by the US Board on Geographic Names

Capital

name: Bamako | geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W | 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

Constitution

history: several previous; latest drafted August 1991, approved by referendum 12 January 1992, effective 25 February 1992, suspended briefly in 2012 (2017) | amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by members of the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and approval in a referendum; constitutional sections on the integrity of the state, its republican and secular form of government, and its multiparty system cannot be amended; amended 1999 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mali | conventional short form: Mali | local long form: Republique de Mali | local short form: Mali | former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic | etymology: name derives from the West African Mali Empire of the 13th to 16th centuries A.D.

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. FOLMSBEE (since 3 June 2015) | embassy: located off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge west of the Bamako central district | mailing address: ACI 2000, Rue 243, Porte 297, Bamako | telephone: [223] 2070-2300 | FAX: [223] 2070-2479

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamadou NIMAGA (since 22 June 2018) | chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950 | FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (since 4 September 2013) | head of government: Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA (since 31 December 2017) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 July 2018 with a runoff on 12 August 2018; prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (RPM) 77.6%, Soumaila CISSE (URD) 22.4%

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red | note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; 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 those on the flag of neighboring Guinea

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, CD, ECOWAS, 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, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 19 members organized into 3 civil chambers and a criminal chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court members appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members 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); magistrate courts; first instance courts; labor dispute courts; special court of state security

Legal system

civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Constitutional Court

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members directly elected in single and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; 13 seats reserved for citizens living abroad; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 24 November and 15 December 2013 (next to be held on 25 November 2018) | election results: percent of vote by party - RPM 29.4%, URD 22.6%, ADEMA 11.5, other 36.5%; seats by party - RPM 66, URD 17, ADEMA 16, FARE 6, CODEM 5, SADI 5, CNID 4, other 24, independent 4

National anthem

name: "Le Mali" (Mali) | lyrics/music: Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO | note: adopted 1962; also known as "Pour L'Afrique et pour toi, Mali" (For Africa and for You, Mali) and "A ton appel Mali" (At Your Call, Mali)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 September (1960)

National symbol(s)

Great Mosque of Djenne; national colors: green, yellow, red

Political parties and leaders

African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO] Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity, and Justice or ADEMA-PASJ [Tiemoko SANGARE] Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-Maliba [Amadou THIAM] Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP [Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA] Alternative Forces for Renewal and Emergence or FARE [Modibo SIDIBE] Convergence for the Development of Mali or CODEM [Housseyni Amion GUINDO] Economic and Social Development Party or PDES [Jamille BITTAR] Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (coalition of smaller opposition parties) National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL] Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME] Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel Kokalla MAIGA] Rally for Mali or RPM [Boucary TRETA] Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Younoussi TOURE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha 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 was elected to a second term in a 2007 election that was widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali, and Tuareg ethnic militias rebelled in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion, overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of Interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the country's three northern regions and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries, exacerbating regional food shortages in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president. The Malian Government and northern armed groups signed an internationally-mediated peace accord in June 2015. By 2018, however, the parties to the peace accord had made very little progress in the accord’s implementation, despite a June 2017 target for its completion. Furthermore, extremist groups outside the peace process made steady inroads into rural areas of central Mali following the consolidation of three major terrorist organizations in March 2017.

Military branches

Malian Armed Forces: Army (Armee de Terre), Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM), National Guard (Garde National du Mali) (2013)

Military expenditures

2.63% of GDP (2016) | 2.43% of GDP (2015) | 1.56% of GDP (2014) | 1.2% of GDP (2013) | 1.2% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 48.03% (male 4,449,790 /female 4,402,076) | 15-24 years: 18.89% (male 1,657,609 /female 1,823,453) | 25-54 years: 26.36% (male 2,243,158 /female 2,615,695) | 55-64 years: 3.7% (male 346,003 /female 335,733) | 65 years and over: 3.02% (male 277,834 /female 278,542) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Africa :: Mali Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Mali. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

43.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

25% (2015)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

15.6% (2015)

Death rate

9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic profile

Mali’s total population is expected to double by 2035; its capital Bamako is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. A young age structure, a declining mortality rate, and a sustained high total fertility rate of 6 children per woman – the third highest in the world – ensure continued rapid population growth for the foreseeable future. Significant outmigration only marginally tempers this growth. Despite decreases, Mali’s infant, child, and maternal mortality rates remain among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa because of limited access to and adoption of family planning, early childbearing, short birth intervals, the prevalence of female genital cutting, infrequent use of skilled birth attendants, and a lack of emergency obstetrical and neonatal care. Mali’s high total fertility rate has been virtually unchanged for decades, as a result of the ongoing preference for large families, early childbearing, the lack of female education and empowerment, poverty, and extremely low contraceptive use. Slowing Mali’s population growth by lowering its birth rate will be essential for poverty reduction, improving food security, and developing human capital and the economy. Mali has a long history of seasonal migration and emigration driven by poverty, conflict, demographic pressure, unemployment, food insecurity, and droughts. Many Malians from rural areas migrate during the dry period to nearby villages and towns to do odd jobs or to adjoining countries to work in agriculture or mining. Pastoralists and nomads move seasonally to southern Mali or nearby coastal states. Others migrate long term to Mali’s urban areas, Cote d’Ivoire, other neighboring countries, and in smaller numbers to France, Mali’s former colonial ruler. Since the early 1990s, Mali’s role has grown as a transit country for regional migration flows and illegal migration to Europe. Human smugglers and traffickers exploit the same regional routes used for moving contraband drugs, arms, and cigarettes. Between early 2012 and 2013, renewed fighting in northern Mali between government forces and Tuareg secessionists and their Islamist allies, a French-led international military intervention, as well as chronic food shortages, caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Malians. Most of those displaced domestically sought shelter in urban areas of southern Mali, except for pastoralist and nomadic groups, who abandoned their traditional routes, gave away or sold their livestock, and dispersed into the deserts of northern Mali or crossed into neighboring countries. Almost all Malians who took refuge abroad (mostly Tuareg and Maure pastoralists) stayed in the region, largely in Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 101.9 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 96.8 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 19.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 96.5% of population | rural: 64.1% of population | total: 77% of population | unimproved: urban: 3.5% of population | rural: 35.9% of population | total: 23% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2015)

Ethnic groups

Bambara 34.1%, Fulani (Peul) 14.7%, Sarakole 10.8%, Senufo 10.5%, Dogon 8.9%, Malinke 8.7%, Bobo 2.9%, Songhai 1.6%, Tuareg 0.9%, other Malian 6.1%, from member of Economic Community of West African States 0.3%, other 0.4% (2012-13 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.2% (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

6,300 (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

130,000 (2017 est.)

Health expenditures

6.9% of GDP (2014)

Hospital bed density

0.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 67.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 73.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 61.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

French (official), Bambara 46.3%, Peul/Foulfoulbe 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%, unspecified 0.7%, other 6.3% (2009 est.) | note: Mali has 13 national languages in addition to its official language

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 60.8 years (2018 est.) | male: 58.6 years (2018 est.) | female: 63 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) | total population: 33.1% (2015 est.) | male: 45.1% (2015 est.) | female: 22.2% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2016) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016) | vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016) | water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016) | animal contact diseases: rabies (2016) | respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Major urban areas - population

2.447 million BAMAKO (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality rate

587 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 15.8 years | male: 15.2 years | female: 16.5 years (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

18.8 years (2012/13 est.) | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

noun: Malian(s) | adjective: Malian

Net migration rate

-3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.6% (2016)

Physicians density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

18,429,893 (July 2018 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

Population growth rate

2.98% (2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim 94.8%, Christian 2.4%, Animist 2%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.3% (2009 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 37.5% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 16.1% of population (2015 est.) | total: 24.7% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 62.5% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 83.9% of population (2015 est.) | total: 75.3% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 8 years (2011) | male: 9 years (2011) | female: 7 years (2011)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 0.87 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.9 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 30.5% (2016 est.) | male: 29.6% (2016 est.) | female: 31.3% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 42.4% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 4.86% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Terrorist groups - home based

al-Mulathamun Battalion: aim(s): implement ISIS's strict interpretation of Sharia; replace the Malian Government with an Islamic state area(s) of operation: headquartered in the north; targets primarily international interests, especially Westerners and Western entities (November 2018) | al-Qa'ida-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM): aim(s): establish an Islamic state centered in Mali area(s) of operation: primarily based in northern and central Mali; targets Western and local interests in West Africa and Sahel; has claimed responsibility for attacks in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso note: pledged allegiance to al-Qa'ida and AQIM; holds Western hostages; wages attacks against security and peacekeeping forces in Mali (April 2018) | Islamic State of Iraq and ash-sham networks in the Greater Sahara (ISGS): aim(s): replace regional governments with an Islamic state area(s) of operation: mostly concentrated along the Mali-Niger border region; targets primarily security forces (April 2018)

Disputes - international

demarcation is underway with Burkina Faso

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 15,319 (Mauritania) (2018) | IDPs: 80,302 (Tuareg rebellion since 2012) (2018)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Mali is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; internal trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking, but foreign women and girls are forced into domestic servitude, agricultural labor, and support roles in gold mines, as well as subjected to sex trafficking; Malian boys are forced to work in agricultural settings, gold mines, the informal commercial sector and to beg within Mali and neighboring countries; Malians and other Africans who travel through Mali to Mauritania, Algeria, or Libya in hopes of reaching Europe are particularly at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking; men and boys, primarily of Songhai ethnicity, are subjected to debt bondage in the salt mines of Taoudenni in northern Mali; some members of Mali's Tamachek community are subjected to hereditary slavery-related practices; Malian women and girls are victims of sex trafficking in Gabon, Libya, Lebanon, and Tunisia; the recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups in northern Mali decreased | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mali does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Mali was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; officials failed to distribute the 2012 anti-trafficking law to judicial and law enforcement personnel, perpetuating a lack of understanding and awareness of the legislation; anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts decreased in 2014, with only one case investigated and no prosecutions or convictions; fewer victims were identified, and the government did not support the privately funded NGOs and international organizations it relied upon to provide victims with services; the government did not conduct any awareness-raising campaigns, workshops, or training sessions (2015)

Airports

25 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 8 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 17 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013) | under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TZ, TT (2016)

Heliports

2 (2013)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2 (2015)

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Koulikoro (Niger)

Railways

total: 593 km (2014) | narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

Roadways

total: 22,474 km (2009) | paved: 5,522 km (2009) | unpaved: 16,952 km (2009)

Waterways

1,800 km (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercial vessels) (2011)