Mali Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Mali is 26,143,152 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 24,478,595 in 2024.

Mali is projected to reach 80.4M people in 2100.
Mali is ranked 58/197 by population and was ranked 66th in 2006.
Mali accounts for 0.32% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, Mali has had an average growth rate of 4.34% per year.
Since 2006, population has increased from 14M people to 26.1M (86.9% growth in 20 years).

Mali population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	80,371,693	0.4%
2099	80,051,982	0.43%
2098	79,712,985	0.44%
2097	79,363,373	0.46%
2096	78,996,636	0.49%
2095	78,611,169	0.52%
2094	78,201,275	0.54%
2093	77,780,277	0.56%
2092	77,346,576	0.59%
2091	76,892,849	0.62%
2090	76,418,075	0.65%
2089	75,924,551	0.68%
2088	75,413,374	0.71%
2087	74,882,872	0.73%
2086	74,339,859	0.76%
2085	73,778,163	0.79%
2084	73,197,940	0.83%
2083	72,596,727	0.85%
2082	71,983,705	0.89%
2081	71,348,537	0.91%
2080	70,707,220	0.95%
2079	70,044,626	0.98%
2078	69,367,218	1.01%
2077	68,675,750	1.03%
2076	67,972,574	1.06%
2075	67,256,565	1.1%
2074	66,523,454	1.14%
2073	65,776,035	1.17%
2072	65,016,928	1.21%
2071	64,239,726	1.23%
2070	63,457,636	1.27%
2069	62,664,074	1.3%
2068	61,857,029	1.33%
2067	61,042,577	1.36%
2066	60,222,511	1.38%
2065	59,400,594	1.42%
2064	58,567,263	1.46%
2063	57,727,308	1.49%
2062	56,880,111	1.52%
2061	56,026,848	1.56%
2060	55,166,339	1.59%
2059	54,304,533	1.62%
2058	53,437,711	1.66%
2057	52,565,517	1.69%
2056	51,691,907	1.73%
2055	50,813,138	1.76%
2054	49,936,085	1.8%
2053	49,053,898	1.84%
2052	48,167,179	1.88%
2051	47,280,403	1.92%
2050	46,390,999	1.94%
2049	45,505,968	1.99%
2048	44,617,075	2.03%
2047	43,730,396	2.08%
2046	42,840,806	2.12%
2045	41,951,176	2.17%
2044	41,061,960	2.21%
2043	40,172,937	2.26%
2042	39,286,024	2.29%
2041	38,406,403	2.35%
2040	37,525,963	2.38%
2039	36,652,557	2.46%
2038	35,772,629	2.49%
2037	34,902,845	2.55%
2036	34,036,236	2.58%
2035	33,178,665	2.63%
2034	32,328,037	2.67%
2033	31,486,276	2.71%
2032	30,655,886	2.76%
2031	29,833,522	2.77%
2030	29,028,860	2.81%
2029	28,235,559	2.84%
2028	27,456,170	2.87%
2027	26,690,187	2.89%
2026	25,940,320	2.93%
2025	25,201,616	2.95%
2024	24,478,595	2.98%
2023	23,769,127	3.02%
2022	23,072,640	3.06%
2021	22,388,630	3.11%
2020	21,713,836	3.06%
2019	21,068,405	3.06%
2018	20,442,030	3.17%
2017	19,813,011	3.24%
2016	19,191,289	3.22%
2015	18,593,022	3.18%
2014	18,020,267	3.21%
2013	17,459,615	2.96%
2012	16,957,033	2.96%
2011	16,469,049	3.29%
2010	15,945,198	3.3%
2009	15,435,539	3.31%
2008	14,940,782	3.34%
2007	14,457,775	3.34%
2006	13,990,139	3.33%
2005	13,538,647	3.33%
2004	13,102,409	3.29%
2003	12,684,955	3.23%
2002	12,288,050	3.16%
2001	11,912,158	3.05%
2000	11,559,290	2.96%
1999	11,227,415	2.82%
1998	10,919,573	2.56%
1997	10,646,495	2.3%
1996	10,407,278	2.18%
1995	10,185,365	2.19%
1994	9,967,031	2.18%
1993	9,754,786	2.11%
1992	9,553,540	2.04%
1991	9,362,888	2.01%
1990	9,178,830	1.99%
1989	8,999,938	1.88%
1988	8,833,996	1.76%
1987	8,681,164	1.76%
1986	8,531,277	1.87%
1985	8,374,663	2.02%
1984	8,208,599	2.17%
1983	8,034,400	2.22%
1982	7,860,194	2.18%
1981	7,692,766	2.15%
1980	7,530,515	2.1%
1979	7,375,266	2.01%
1978	7,229,651	1.96%
1977	7,090,979	1.87%
1976	6,960,979	1.81%
1975	6,837,261	1.81%
1974	6,715,436	1.79%
1973	6,597,106	1.75%
1972	6,483,726	1.66%
1971	6,377,944	1.62%
1970	6,276,472	1.6%
1969	6,177,704	1.56%
1968	6,082,979	1.54%
1967	5,990,906	1.5%
1966	5,902,204	1.49%
1965	5,815,487	1.49%
1964	5,730,125	1.48%
1963	5,646,605	1.49%
1962	5,563,917	1.49%
1961	5,482,283	1.48%
1960	5,402,550	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/mali | CC BY

Mali has a population of 26.1M as of 2026, compared to 19.2M in 2016, 14M in 2006, and 10.4M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 3.62% per year. Mali is ranked 9th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Mali will have 42,840,806 people (63.9% growth) with a rank change from 58th to 50th.

By the year 2100, Mali's population is projected to grow by 207.4% from its current level to 80.4M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-48,019
2024	-	-	-46,880
2023	706,445	746,398	-39,953
2022	686,514	726,465	-39,951
2021	681,464	703,674	-22,210
2020	668,091	683,053	-14,962
2019	622,737	667,110	-44,373
2018	630,013	670,723	-40,710
2017	628,031	661,973	-33,942
2016	615,401	645,652	-30,251
2015	581,134	630,006	-48,872
2014	564,351	614,419	-50,068
2013	556,936	597,887	-40,951
2012	448,241	588,748	-140,507
2011	527,739	570,899	-43,160
2010	519,964	554,447	-34,483
2009	499,347	533,730	-34,383
2008	490,156	514,665	-24,509
2007	475,855	495,800	-19,945
2006	459,418	477,665	-18,247
2005	443,551	460,964	-17,413
2004	428,921	439,717	-10,796
2003	405,998	417,766	-11,768
2002	387,818	396,732	-8,914
2001	363,965	376,472	-12,507
2000	341,764	359,159	-17,395
1999	322,003	343,705	-21,702
1998	293,685	323,940	-30,255
1997	252,451	308,429	-55,978
1996	225,979	293,953	-67,974
1995	217,835	285,598	-67,763
1994	218,823	282,356	-63,533
1993	205,664	274,480	-68,816
1992	196,816	267,605	-70,789
1991	184,484	261,656	-77,172
1990	183,640	252,308	-68,668
1989	174,158	249,929	-75,771
1988	157,730	245,682	-87,952
1987	147,931	238,871	-90,940
1986	151,829	233,799	-81,970
1985	161,387	224,734	-63,347
1984	170,747	218,078	-47,331
1983	177,663	211,795	-34,132
1982	170,752	204,892	-34,140
1981	164,097	198,227	-34,130
1980	160,404	190,560	-30,156
1979	150,096	182,449	-32,353
1978	141,132	172,652	-31,520
1977	136,218	165,071	-28,853
1976	123,779	157,778	-33,999
1975	123,650	150,222	-26,572
1974	119,999	142,448	-22,449
1973	116,664	135,801	-19,137
1972	110,093	129,687	-19,594
1971	101,464	123,591	-22,127
1970	101,473	118,952	-17,479
1969	96,059	114,361	-18,302
1968	93,388	111,403	-18,015
1967	90,750	107,650	-16,900
1966	86,652	103,684	-17,032
1965	86,789	100,451	-13,662
1964	83,940	97,166	-13,226
1963	83,104	95,055	-11,951
1962	82,280	93,101	-10,821
1961	80,976	91,115	-10,139
1960	78,488	88,802	-10,314

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/mali | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 94.9% of the population change in Mali is from natural causes (a gain of 6,749,473 people) and 5.13% is from migration (a loss of 365,292 people).

As of 2024, 545,323 residents or 2.2% of the population were not native-born in Mali, compared to 341,078 and 2.1% in 2010.

Mali population clock

	Mali	Rank
Current population	26143152	58/197
Percent of world population	0.32%	58/197
One net population change	44.5 seconds	33/197
One birth every	33.1 seconds	32/196
One death every	2.56 minutes	52/196
Daily growth/decline	+1,944	33/197
Annual growth/decline	+709,468	33/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.98%	15/197
One migration net change every	11 minutes	173/196
Annual migration change	-48,019	173/196
Foreign-born residents	545,323	76/195
Foreign-born share of population	2.2%	131/195

Largest cities by population

Mali
City	Population
Bamako	4.23M
Sikasso	214K
Segou	134K
Bougouni	59.7K

Mali population statistics

	Mali	World
Life expectancy	61.1 years	73.8 years
Average age	21.3 years	33.8 years
Median age	16.7 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50.5:49.5	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	5.61 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	55.1 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Mali.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/mali | CC BY