Mali vs Niger: Population density

Mali
19.48 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
Niger
20.65 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
Mali rank
185th
Niger rank
182nd

Population density over time

  • Mali
  • Niger
5101520196119922023

How they compare

Niger currently reports 20.65 people per sq. km of land area against 19.48 people per sq. km of land area in Mali, a difference of 1.17 people per sq. km of land area.

That makes Niger's figure about 1.1 times Mali's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Mali ahead.

Mali ranks 185th and Niger ranks 182nd of 215 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Mali averaged higher in 5 and Niger in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Mali Niger Difference Ahead
1960s 4.77 people per sq. km of land area 3.2 people per sq. km of land area 1.57 people per sq. km of land area Mali
1970s 5.57 people per sq. km of land area 4.16 people per sq. km of land area 1.41 people per sq. km of land area Mali
1980s 6.78 people per sq. km of land area 5.56 people per sq. km of land area 1.22 people per sq. km of land area Mali
1990s 8.29 people per sq. km of land area 7.59 people per sq. km of land area 0.7033 people per sq. km of land area Mali
2000s 10.97 people per sq. km of land area 10.73 people per sq. km of land area 0.2398 people per sq. km of land area Mali
2010s 15.08 people per sq. km of land area 15.51 people per sq. km of land area 0.4361 people per sq. km of land area Niger
2020s 18.63 people per sq. km of land area 19.68 people per sq. km of land area 1.04 people per sq. km of land area Niger

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population density, Mali or Niger?
Niger, at 20.65 people per sq. km of land area against 19.48 people per sq. km of land area in Mali as of 2023.
What is the difference in population density between Mali and Niger?
1.17 people per sq. km of land area, with Niger ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Mali and Niger?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do Mali and Niger rank globally for population density?
Mali ranks 185th and Niger ranks 182nd of 215 countries.
Where does this data come from?
FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Mali vs Niger: Population density. Statizoid, drawing on FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://urban.statizoid.com/compare/population-density-people-per-sq-km-of-land-area/mali/niger/

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About this data

Indicator
Population density (people per sq. km of land area)
Unit
people per sq. km of land area
Source
FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
263 places, 15,281 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.