history
The 14th-century Malian emperor Mansa Musa is often cited as the richest person in recorded history, largely from his kingdom's gold and salt trade.
Mali
Republic of Mali
Population, GDP, and key facts about Mali — updated for 2026.
Capital · BAMAKOContinent · AFRICAISO · MLI
Mali quick facts
- Population
- 24,478,595
- Area
- 1,240,190 km²
- Population density
- 19 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 26.8 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 1.1K
- Capital
- Bamako
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (Fr, XOF)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 66/month · Fr 40,000/month (2024)
- Language
- French
Mali at human scale
Where does Mali rank in the world?
Compare Mali with other countries
🇲🇱 vs 🇧🇫Compare Mali vs Burkina Faso🇲🇱 vs 🇿🇲Compare Mali vs Zambia1.1× difference in population🇲🇱 vs 🇸🇾Compare Mali vs Syrian Arab Republic
Compare Mali with any country →Mali's war history
- Government of MalivsJNIM
Internationalized intrastate
Wars that reached at least 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year, since 1946 — not a full record of every armed conflict Mali has had. Source: UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset.
See every war since 1946 on the War Timeline →Mali's energy mix
Fossil fuels · 81%Renewables · 19%
- Oil81%
- Hydropower15%
- Solar3%
- Bioenergy1%
Share of Mali's own electricity generation by source, 2024. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about Mali
Countries near Mali
How many countries do you think Mali could fit?
Pour other countries into Mali's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about Mali
What is the capital of Mali?
The capital of Mali is Bamako.
What is Mali's population?
Mali has a population of 24,478,595.
What is Mali's GDP per capita?
Mali's GDP per capita is US$ 1.1K.
What is the currency of Mali?
The currency of Mali is the West African CFA franc (XOF).
What is the minimum wage in Mali?
Mali's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 66 per month (as of 2024) — Fr 40,000 per month in local currency.
Is Mali bigger than Burkina Faso?
Mali is about 4.5× the size of Burkina Faso by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.