Mali Demographics

What is the population of Mali?

Population	19,553,397
Population Growth Rate	3.01%
Urban Population	34.9%
Population in Major Urban Areas	BAMAKO (capital) 2.037 million
Nationality Noun	Malian(s)
Nationality Adjective	Malian
Ethnic Groups	Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%
Languages Spoken	French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Mali Health Information

What are the health conditions in Mali?

Animal Contact Disease (s)	rabies
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49	8.2%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	13.55
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved	54.2%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved	32.8%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved	90.9%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s)	bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP	6.8%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate	1%
HIV/Aids Deaths	4,900
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population	.1
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births	99.56
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births	113.23
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births	106.49
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk	very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births	540
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth	18.6
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	4.3%
People Living with HIV/AIDS	76,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population	.08
Respiratory disease (s)	meningococcal meningitis
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved	78.1%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved	35.3%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved	14.5%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman	6.25
Underweight - percent of children under five years	27.9%
Vectorborne Disease (s)	malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease (s)	schistosomiasis

Mali Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Mali?

Life Expectancy at Birth	54 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female	56 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male	52 Years
Median Age	16 Years
Median Age - female	16 Years
Median Age - male	15 Years

Mali Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Mali median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population	46
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	13.55
Median Age	16 Years
Median Age - female	16 Years
Median Age - male	15 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population	-2.41
Population Growth Rate	3.01%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female	1.01
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female	.91
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female	.87
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female	.95
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female	1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female	.95
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female	1.01

Mali Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Mali?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities in Mali are extremely limited, especially outside of Bamako. Psychiatric care to the same standard as that practiced in the United States does not exist. The U.S. Embassy in Bamako maintains a list of physicians and other healthcare professionals who have indicated willingness to treat U.S. citizen patients. The Embassy is unable to recommend medical professionals or facilities.

Most U.S. medicines are unavailable; European medications are more easily found, and can be obtained at pharmacies throughout Bamako, and are usually less expensive than those in the United States. Travelers should carry with them an adequate supply of needed medication and prescription drugs, along with copies of the prescriptions, including the generic names for the drugs. Be careful to avoid purchasing potentially dangerous counterfeit medications when buying on the local market in Mali.

Mali Education

What is school like in Mali?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP	4.8%
Literacy - female	39.6%
Literacy - male	53.5%
Literacy - total population	46.4%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female	8 Years
School Life Expectancy - male	10 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)	9 Years

Mali Literacy

Can people in Mali read?

Literacy - female	39.6%
Literacy - male	53.5%
Literacy - total population	46.4%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language	French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Mali Crime

Is Mali a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Violent crime in Mali is infrequent, but petty crimes, such as pick pocketing and simple theft, are common in urban areas. Passports and wallets should be closely guarded when in crowded outdoor areas and open-air markets. Individuals are advised against traveling on the Bamako-Dakar railroad and should be vigilant for pickpockets, especially at night. Criminals will not hesitate to use violence if they encounter resistance from their victims. There are sporadic reports of nighttime robberies occurring on the roads outside of the capital; tourists should not drive outside of Bamako at night. Travelers should stay alert, remain in groups, and avoid poorly lit areas after dark.

Violent criminal activity does occasionally occur in Bamako. During and after the coup d’état in March 2012, violent attacks and looting were reported around Bamako. Violent attacks were also reported prior to the coup, most occurring south of the Niger River in the neighborhood of Badalabougou. Most reported attacks took place at night. The majority targeted unaccompanied individuals and ranged from muggings at gun- or knife-point to physical assaults. Many of the attacks occurred near the residences of the victims, both inside and outside of their vehicles.

Sporadic banditry and random carjackings have historically plagued Mali's vast northern desert region and its borders with Mauritania and Niger. While banditry has not targeted U.S. citizens specifically, such acts of violence cannot be predicted. The current instability in the north has increased the risk of carjacking, kidnapping, and banditry. In November 2011, two French nationals were kidnapped from their hotel rooms in Hombori, one of whom was reportedly beheaded in early 2013. The following day, one German was killed while a Dutch citizen, a Swedish citizen, and a South African were kidnapped in Timbuktu. In April 2012, a Swiss national was kidnapped in Timbuktu and seven Algerian diplomats were kidnapped in Gao. In November 2012, a French national was kidnapped near the town of Kayes, close to the Senegalese/Mauritanian border.

Mali Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While in Mali, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. There are also some acts that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Mali, your U.S. passport will not help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It is very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going. Persons violating Mali’s laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Mali are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

The U.S. Embassy does not always receive timely notification by Malian authorities of the arrest of U.S. citizens. You are encouraged to carry a copy of your passport with you at all times, so that proof of identity and citizenship are readily available in the event of questioning by local authorities. If arrested, you should always politely insist that you be allowed to contact the U.S. Embassy

Mali Population Comparison

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