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.

Mali

Africa · Western Africa

Very Low PeaceLow Development
Authoritarian
HDI0.410#186 / 191Low
Global Peace Index3.00#151 / 160Very Low
GDP / Capita$1K#170 / 190Lower-mid
Life Expectancy61 yrs#189 / 195Very Low
Population25.2M58th
PPP / Capita$4KVery Low
Gender Inequality0.607Very High

Ancient Timbuktu; a military coup, jihadist insurgency in the north, very poor.

At a Glance

53
LowInfant survivalIndex. 47.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births
78
Very AffordablePrice Level IndexHigher is cheaper to live in
86
ModerateWater AccessShare of people with basic water access
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Mali's Human Development Index

0.410

Low human development

#186 of 191 countries worldwide, #49 of 54 in Africa.

Higher than 3% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.

Closest indicators in this dataset

Life expectancy at birth60.7 yrs (2024)
GNI per capita$1,120 (2025)

World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.

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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

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Nomad Hub

Fixed Broadband

24Mbps

Slow131st globally
PlugType C/E

GDP / Capita

i

$1K

Low

PPP / Capita

i

$4K

Lower Mid

Inflation

i

3.3%

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

76th pct

Very Affordable

20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast

Income & inflation over time

i
+103% nominal+17% real
$1K$3K$4K5%10%200620102015202020252028
GDPPPPInflationIMF forecast

HDI since 1990

0.2360.410 (+0.174)Year by year →
1990: 0.2361991: 0.2441992: 0.2481993: 0.2551994: 0.2621995: 0.2681996: 0.2751997: 0.2861998: 0.2971999: 0.3082000: 0.3152001: 0.3272002: 0.3362003: 0.3482004: 0.3552005: 0.3642006: 0.3732007: 0.3812008: 0.3902009: 0.3982010: 0.4062011: 0.4112012: 0.4072013: 0.4042014: 0.4102015: 0.4092016: 0.4072017: 0.4132018: 0.4172019: 0.4212020: 0.4072021: 0.4082022: 0.410

UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.

Life expectancy at birth53.860.7 (+6.9)
Internet users137 (+36)
Urban population2132 (+11)
Births per woman6.715.51 (-1.20)
Renewable share of energy8271 (-10)
Access to electricity1850 (+31)
Infant mortality8848 (-41)
CO2 emissions per person0.10.3 (+0.2)
Forest area1111 (0)

World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).

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Quick answers

What is Mali's Human Development Index?

Mali's Human Development Index is 0.410 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #186 of 191 countries.

Is Mali safe?

Mali scores 3.00 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #151 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

What is life expectancy in Mali?

Life expectancy at birth in Mali is 60.7 yrs (World Bank), ranked #189 of 195 countries.