Mali Population 2020
Mali is a large, landlocked country in West Africa with more than 1.24 million square kilometers (480,000 square miles) of land. In 2012, an armed conflict broke out and Tuareg rebels took control, declaring secession of a new state, Azawad. While it was recaptured, negotiations are expected to take place. In 2020, Mali has an estimated population of 20.25 million, an increase from 2013's estimate of 14.85 million. Mali is the 60th largest country in the world.
Mali Area and Population Density
The west African country of Mali covers 478,800 square miles (1,240,000 square kilometers) of area, almost all of which is land. Mali completely landlocked and is bordered by Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niamey, and Algeria. It is the 8th largest nation in Africa. Calculated with the 2019 population of 19,768,861 citizens, the population density of Mali is 41.1 people per square mile (15.9 people per square kilometer), making it the 176th most densely populated country in the world.
Largest Cities in Mali
Roughly a third of the population in Mali live in urban areas, and there are a few sizable cities that house these citizens. The capital city of Bamako is by far the largest with a population of just over 2 million. The city is located in a more fertile part of the country along the Niger River, where agriculture is able to feed a city of this size. There are no other cities with populations near this size, but there are several smaller cities scattered throughout the country, like Sikasso, Kalabancoro, Koutiala, and Segou - all of which have populations under 300,000.
Mali Demographics
The people of Mali are comprised of several sub-Saharan ethnic groups. The largest is the Bambara, accounting for 37% of the population. While the official language of Mali is French, 80% of people speak Bambara and there are at least 40 African languages in use. The Bambara, Sonike, Khassonke and Malinke are part of the larger Mande group, which accounts for half of the country's population. Other large ethnic groups include the Fula (17%), Voltaic (12%), Songhai (6%) and the Tuareg and Moor (10%).
Mali Religion, Economy and Politics
Mali is considered an Islamic society, with over 90% of the population practicing Islam. Most Muslim people in Mali are Sunni, but there are also Ahmadiyya and Shia communities present. The small non-muslim population is split pretty evenly between Christians, and those practicing indigenous beliefs.
The economy in Mali is largely based in rural agriculture, which occupies 70% of their workforce, and their economy is doing very poorly. Mali is both one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, as well as on a list of 37 very poor, and also very indebted countries, and they rely heavily on foreign aid.
Mali Population History
Mali was considered an empire until around the 14th century when the Songhai Empire took control of the gold trade in the important trading city of Timbuktu. Moroccans took the land from the Songhai in the late 16th century. The French advanced on Mali in the 19th century, beginning religious wars in the area. The French gained total control in 1898, and the country was called French Sudan. Mali became a free, socialist state in 1960, and later became a democracy in the 1990s.
Mali Population Growth
90% of people in Mali live in the southern region with the Niger and Senegal rivers, far from the Sahara desert. About 68% of the population is rural, with 5-10% of people living a nomadic lifestyle. Mali has a very young population with nearly half of people under the age of 15 and a median age of 15.9. While the total fertility rate is high at 6.4 per woman, Mali has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world at 1 death per 10 live births.
Mali Population Projections
The 2019 substantial annual growth rate of 3% is expected to hit a peak around 2020, and then decline in the years to come, but not by much. Current projections say that it remain above 2% until at least 2060. It is predicted that the population of Mali will be 20,284,180 by 2020, 27,057,112 by 2030, 35,173,773 by 2040 and should cross the 40 million mark in 2046.
Components of Population Change
| One birth every 39 seconds | |
| One death every 3 minutes | |
| One net migrant every 13 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 53 seconds |
