Mali at its true size
Mali covers 1,240,192 km², number 23 of 194 countries by area. Home to 25,198,821 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 1,240,192 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,198,821 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 20 per km² |
| Capital | Bamako |
| Local time in Bamako | |
| Time zone | UTC IANA |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) Wikidata |
| Languages | Fula, Bambara, Soninke, Hassaniya Arabic, Songhay, Maninka, Dogon, Tamasheq, Senufo, Minyanka, Bozo, Kassonke, Bobo |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Western Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Landlocked |
| Calling code | +223 |
| Codes | ML · MLI · 466 |
Weather in Bamako now
Now
—Loading the forecast…
The next three days
Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated hourly · Temperatures on the map
Where Mali ranks
Among the independent states, in 42 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#58 of 19425 million people#19 of 54 in Africa
- Population density#165 of 19420 people per km²#44 of 54 in Africa
- Urban population#165 of 19232% urban#43 of 54 in Africa
- Fertility rate#6 of 1925.51 births per woman#6 of 54 in Africa
- Population growth#14 of 192+2.90% a year#7 of 54 in Africa
- Birth rate#6 of 19239.5 births per 1,000 people#6 of 54 in Africa
- Death rate#63 of 1928.5 deaths per 1,000 people#12 of 54 in Africa
- Children under 15#6 of 19245.8% under 15#6 of 54 in Africa
- People over 65#185 of 1922.4% aged 65 and over#50 of 54 in Africa
- Net migration#142 of 192−1.9 per 1,000 people#41 of 54 in Africa
- Refugees abroad#11 of 19020.63 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#7 of 54 in Africa
Health & education
Economy
- GNI per capita#166 of 185$1,120 a person#35 of 52 in Africa
- Internet users#157 of 18437% online#29 of 52 in Africa
- GDP per capita (PPP)#166 of 184$3,503 a person#37 of 52 in Africa
- GDP growth#38 of 187+5.6% a year#20 of 52 in Africa
- Inflation#81 of 176+3.3% a year#27 of 50 in Africa
- Unemployment#146 of 1782.8% of the labour force#43 of 53 in Africa
- Extreme poverty#25 of 14936.1% under $3.00 a day#25 of 47 in Africa
- Income inequality (Gini)#66 of 149a Gini index of 35.7#33 of 47 in Africa
- Jobs in agriculture#12 of 17863.0% of jobs#11 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in industry#161 of 1788.6% of jobs#41 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in services#167 of 17828.4% of jobs#44 of 53 in Africa
- Foreign investment#68 of 1842.8% of GDP#21 of 52 in Africa
- Exports#124 of 16822.1% of GDP#29 of 49 in Africa
- Military spending#14 of 1553.9% of GDP#2 of 50 in Africa
- Mobile subscriptions#107 of 191112 subscriptions per 100 people#20 of 54 in Africa
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#161 of 1850.30 tonnes a person#35 of 53 in Africa
- Forest area#158 of 1929% forest#43 of 54 in Africa
- Renewable energy#28 of 19071.1% renewable#24 of 54 in Africa
- Access to electricity#178 of 19249.5% with electricity#41 of 54 in Africa
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#33 of 19135.5 µg/m³#18 of 54 in Africa
- Protected land#159 of 1917.5% of the land protected#43 of 54 in Africa
- Arable land#126 of 1905.5% of the land arable#34 of 54 in Africa
- Water stress#99 of 1768.0% of its available fresh water#25 of 53 in Africa
- Precipitation#155 of 180282 mm a year#44 of 54 in Africa
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Mali’s area, lit up on the map →
- Angola0.99×Mali and Angola are almost exactly the same size.
- South Africa1.02×Mali and South Africa are almost exactly the same size.
- Niger0.98×Mali and Niger are almost exactly the same size.
- Chad0.97×Mali is 3% smaller than Chad.
- Peru0.96×Mali is 4% smaller than Peru.
- Colombia1.09×Mali is 9% larger than Colombia.
How many times does Mali fit into…
- Russia: about 14 times
- Canada: about 8.1 times
- United States: about 7.9 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Mali shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Niger4,180 km
- Senegal1,050 km
- Bafing500 km
Summits
- Mount Hombori1,153 m
- Mount Tenakourou749 m
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Mali. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Mali
- How big is Mali?
- Mali covers 1,240,192 km², which makes it number 23 of 194 countries by area. About 25,198,821 people live there (2025), 20 per km².
- Is Mali bigger than Angola?
- Mali and Angola are almost exactly the same size. Mali: 1,240,192 km²; Angola: 1,246,700 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Mali?
- Mali lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Mali?
- Mali shares a land border with Algeria, Niger, Mauritania, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal.