Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Mali
Mali: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 19.48 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
19.48 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
186th
of 216 countries
All-time high
19.48 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
17.27 people per sq. km of land area
in 2019
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Mali, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Mali is 19.48 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 12.8% over five years.
Over the whole period, population density in Mali peaked at 19.48 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.27 people per sq. km of land area, in 2019.
Mali ranks 186th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Mali, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.49 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 4.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 4.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 4.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 4.77 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 4.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 4.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 4.99 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 5.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 5.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 5.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 5.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 5.41 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 5.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 5.6 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 5.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 5.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 5.93 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 6.04 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 6.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 6.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 6.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 6.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 6.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 6.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 6.99 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 7.11 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 7.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 7.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 7.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 7.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 7.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 7.99 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 8.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 8.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 8.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 8.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 8.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 9.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 9.47 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 9.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 10.07 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 10.4 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 10.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 11.1 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 11.47 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 11.85 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 12.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 12.65 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 13.07 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 13.5 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 13.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 14.31 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 14.77 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 15.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 15.73 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 16.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 16.75 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 17.27 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 17.8 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 18.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 18.91 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 19.48 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 19.48 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for low income countries, which is 63.56 people per sq. km of land area, 31% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Mali's 19.48 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 68.7 people per sq. km of land area, 28% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.77 people per sq. km of land area | 4.49 people per sq. km of land area | 5.06 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.57 people per sq. km of land area | 5.14 people per sq. km of land area | 6.04 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.78 people per sq. km of land area | 6.17 people per sq. km of land area | 7.38 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.29 people per sq. km of land area | 7.52 people per sq. km of land area | 9.2 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.97 people per sq. km of land area | 9.47 people per sq. km of land area | 12.65 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.08 people per sq. km of land area | 13.07 people per sq. km of land area | 17.27 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.63 people per sq. km of land area | 17.8 people per sq. km of land area | 19.48 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mali
- 183 Niger 20.65 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 184 Bhutan 20.62 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 185 New Zealand 19.75 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 187 Algeria 19.38 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 188 Uruguay 19.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 189 Finland 18.37 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Mali
- Population in the largest city 39.2% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 35.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1262 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 3.18 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 4.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 2.4 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.18 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 43.3 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Mali?
- Population density in Mali was 19.48 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 19.48 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.27 people per sq. km of land area in 2019.
- How does Mali rank for population density?
- Mali ranks 186th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.