Population density in Mali
Mali: Population density 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
185th
of 215 countries
All-time high
19.48 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
4.49 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
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 36.1% over ten 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, 4.49 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Mali ranks 185th of 215 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 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% |
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
- 182 Niger 20.65 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 183 Bhutan 20.62 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 184 New Zealand 19.75 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 186 Algeria 19.38 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 187 Uruguay 19.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 188 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 4.49 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Mali rank for population density?
- Mali ranks 185th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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.