Demographics ofMali
Population pyramid of Mali in 2020
Population	20,741,769 (2022 est.)
Growth rate	2.95% (2022 est.)
Birth rate	41.07 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate	8.53 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Life expectancy	62.41 years
• male	60.19 years
• female	64.7 years
Fertility rate	5.54 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate	60.64 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate	-3.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years	47.69%
65 and over	3.02%
Nationality
Nationality	Malian
Language
Official	French

Demographic features of thepopulation ofMali includepopulation density,ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

In 2021, Mali's population was an estimated 21.9 million^[1][2], with an annual growth rate of 2.7%.^[3] This figure can be compared to 4,638,000 in 1950.^[4] The population is predominantlyrural (68% in 2002), and 5–10% of Malians arenomadic.^[5] More than 90% of the population lives in the southern part of the country, especially inBamako, which has over 1 million residents.^[5]

In 2007, about 48% of Malians were less than 15 years old, 49% were 15–64 years old, and 3% were 65 and older.^[3] The median age was 15.9 years.^[3] Thebirth rate in 2007 was 49.6 births per 1,000, and thetotal fertility rate was 7.4 children per woman.^[3]

Thedeath rate in 2007 was 16.5 deaths per 1,000.^[3]Life expectancy at birth was 49.5 years total (47.6 for males and 51.5 for females).^[3] Mali has one of theworld's highest rates ofinfant mortality,^[5] with 106 deaths per 1,000 live births.^[3]

The proportion of the population aged below 15 in 2010 was 47.2%.^[4] 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.^[4]

Structure of the population (census January 2009):^[6]

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (January 2018):^[7]

Registration of vital events in Mali is not complete. The websiteOur World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics^[8] from the Population Department of theUnited Nations. (UN World Population Prospects 2024).^[9]

This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension.

This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension.

This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension.

This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) andCrude Birth Rate (CBR):^[10]

Fertility data as of 2012-2013 (DHS Program):^[11]

Mali had an estimatednet migration rate of –6.6 migrants per 1,000 people in 2006.^[12] 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.^[5]

Ethnic groups include:^[13]

• 33.3%Bambara
• 13.3%Fula
• 9.8%Soninke
• 9.6%Senufo /Bwa /Malinke
• 8.7%Dogon
• 6.1%Bobo
• 5.9%Songhai
• 1.7%Tuareg
• 11.6% Others

Mali's population consists ofSub-Saharanethnic groups, sharing similar historic, cultural, and religious traditions. Exceptions are twonomadic northern groups, theTuaregs, aBerber people, andMaurs (or Moors), ofArabo-Berber origins. In Mali andNiger, the Moors are also known asAzawagh Arabs, named after theAzawagh region of theSahara.^[14] Azawagh Arabs speak mainlyHassaniya Arabic which is one of the regionalvarieties of Arabic.^[15]

The Tuaregs traditionally have opposed the central government. Starting in June 1990 in the north, Tuaregs seeking greater autonomy led to clashes with the military. In April 1992, the government and most opposing factions signed a pact to end the fighting and restore stability in the north. Its major aims are to allow greater autonomy to the north and increase government resource allocation to what has been a traditionally impoverished region. The peace agreement was celebrated in 1996 inTimbuktu during an official and highly publicized ceremony called "Flamme de la Paix" (peace flame).

Historically, interethnic relations throughout the rest of the country were facilitated by easy mobility on theNiger River and across the country's vast savannahs. Each ethnic group was traditionally tied to a specific occupation, all working within proximity to each other, although the distinctions were often blurred.

TheBambara,Malinké,Sarakole,Dogon andSonghay are farmers; theFula or Fulani,Maur, andTuareg are herders, while theBozo andSomono are fishers. In recent years this linkage has shifted considerably, as ethnic groups seek nontraditional sources of income.

People of European origin form a small minority in the country. They include those of mixed European and African descendant, as well as those of full European background. The latter includes the French, as well as the Spanish, Irish, Italian and Portuguese origins. Some of them descend from theArma people (1% of the nation's population). They mainly live inBamako,Sikasso,Kalabancoro,Koutiala,Ségou,Kayes,Kati,Mopti,Niono,Gao,San,Koro,Bla,Bougouni,Mandé,Baguineda-Camp,Kolondiéba,Kolokani, and others.^[16]

Although each ethnic groupspeaks a separate language, nearly 80% of Malians communicate over ethnic borders inBambara, which is the common language of themarketplace. French was formerly the country's official language and is spoken somewhat by 30% of Malians.

An estimated 95% of Malians areSunni Muslim, 4% adhere toindigenous or traditional animist beliefs, and 1% are Christian (about two-thirdsRoman Catholic and one-thirdProtestant).^[17][3][5]Atheism andagnosticism are believed to be rare among Malians, most of whom practice their religion on a daily basis.^[5] Islam as practiced in Mali can be moderate, tolerant, and adapted to local conditions; relations between Muslims and practitioners of minority religious faiths are generally amicable.^[5] The constitution establishes asecular state and provides forfreedom of religion.^[17]

Mali's health and development indicators rank among the worst in the world. In 2000 only 62–65 percent of the population was estimated to have access to safe drinking water and only 69 percent to sanitation services of some kind; only 8 percent was estimated to have access to modern sanitation facilities. Only 20 percent of the nation’s villages and livestock watering holes had modern water facilities.^[5]

There were an estimated 140,000 cases ofhuman immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) reported in 2003, and an estimated 1.9 percent of the adult population was afflicted with HIV/AIDS that year, among the lowest rates inSub-Saharan Africa (see alsoHIV/AIDS in Africa).^[5] In the same year, there were 12,000 AIDS deaths. Theinfant mortality rate is 69.5 deaths/1,000 live births (75.3/1,000 among males and 63.5/1,000 among females) (2017 est.). Life expectancy at birth is 60.3 years (58.2 years among males and 62.5 years among females) (2017 est.).

Period	Life expectancy in Years[18]
1950–1955	26.96
1955–1960	27.98
1960–1965	28.61
1965–1970	30.79
1970–1975	34.20
1975–1980	37.71
1980–1985	41.55
1985–1990	44.51
1990–1995	46.57
1995–2000	46.75
2000–2005	49.96
2005–2010	54.03
2010–2015	56.24

• Demographics of Africa
• Demographics of West Africa

Wikimedia Commons has media related toDemographics of Mali.

• Samaké, Salif; Traoré, Seydou Moussa; Ba, Souleymane; Dembélé, Étienne; Diop, Mamadou; Mariko, Soumaïla; Libité, Paul Roger (2007),Mali: Enquête Démographique et de Santé (EDSM-IV) 2006(PDF), Calverton, MD, USA: Demographic and Health Surveys.

• Demographics of Mali
• Society of Mali

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