Aerial view of wooden boats along the Niger River in Bamako, Mali. Busy riverbank activity.Aerial view of Bafoulabe with a prominent rocky hill under a bright, cloudy sky.Vibrant city street in Africa with colorful buildings and local activity.A picturesque river landscape with palm trees and desert dunes under a dramatic sky.Aerial view of a small town sprawling across a vast, arid landscape under a clear sky.

Mali

Africa · Western Africa

Very Low PeaceLow Development
Population24.5M58th
GDP / Capita$1KLow income
PPP / Capita$3KVery Low
Gender Inequality0.607Very High
Life Expectancy61 yrsVery Low

Ancient Timbuktu — military coup, jihadist insurgency in north, very poor.

At a Glance

53
LowChild Survival
80
Very AffordablePrice Level Index
86
ModerateWater Access
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Mali

Mali is a vast landlocked country in West Africa with an ancient history as one of the great civilisations of the Saharan trade routes, centred on the legendary city of Timbuktu and the remarkable mud-brick mosque architecture of Djenné. The Sahara and Sahel landscapes are striking in their scale, and the musical tradition of the Mandé people has influenced West African music globally. Travel in much of the country remains difficult and requires careful planning.

  • Timbuktu was once the intellectual and commercial capital of Africa — home to 180 Quranic schools.
  • Mansa Musa of Mali, who died in 1337, is considered the wealthiest individual in all of human history.
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Quick Facts

Capital

Bamako

Language

French

Currency

Fr XOF

Area

1.22M km²

💻

Nomad Hub

Fixed Broadband

24Mbps

Slow131st globally
PlugType C/E

GDP / Capita

i

$1K

Low

PPP / Capita

i

$3K

Lower Mid

Inflation

i

3.2%

Moderate

Unemployment

i

2.8%

Very Low

Innovation (GII)

i

14.0

Low

GNI / Capita

i

$1K

Low

Tax Revenue

i

12.0%

FDI Inflows

i

3.4%

Education Spend

i

4.2%

Price Level Index

i

74th pct

Very Affordable

20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast

Income & inflation over time

i
+99% nominal+15% real
$1K$3K$4K5%10%200520102015202020252027
GDPPPPInflationIMF forecast