Home/Countries/Mali

West Africa

Mali

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

Muslim population93.9%of the population

Population23.9 millionpeople (current)

CapitalBamakoUTC 0

Currency606 = $1Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) (2024)

Country basics

Mali is a landlocked West African republic, with the Sahara covering its northern territory.

Mali is a republic with Bamako as its capital and Bambara among the national languages in official use, and the Niger river crosses it. The West African CFA franc is the currency, and gold and cotton make up most of its exports.

Official name

Republic of Mali

Region

Africa · Western Africa

Government

Unitary presidential republic under a military junta

Time zonesCheck the offset for your own city

UTC

Driving side

Right

Phone code

+223

Currency

West African CFA franc (XOF, Fr)

Member of

UN; African Union

Website

https://www.primature.gov.ml

Faith and language

Religions

Muslim 93.9%, Christian 2.8%, animist 0.7%, none 2.5%

Languages

French

People and cities

Population

23.9 million (current)

Median ageHalf the population is younger than this

16.5 years (2025)

Living in cities

46.2% (2023)

Largest cities

Bamako (capital) 2.929 million

Money and cost of living

Exchange rateYearly average; check today’s rate before you budget

606 Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar (2024)

Income per personGDP per person, adjusted for local prices (2021 dollars)

$2,900 (2024)

InflationHow much prices rose over the year

3.2% (2024)

Unemployment

3.1% (2024)

Health and daily life

Life expectancy

63.2 years (2024)

Doctors

0.19 per 1,000 people (2023)

Hospital beds

0.2 per 1,000 people (2018)

Safe drinking water

83.6% of people (2022)

Electricity

53% of people (2022)

Internet users

35% of people (2023)

Literacy

35.5% of adults (2018)

Land and climate

Climate

Subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)

SizeSlightly less than twice the size of Texas

1,240,192 sq km

Natural hazards

Hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 September (1960)