Share of population living in rural areas in Mali
Mali: Share of population living in rural areas was 52.9% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Mali, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Mali stood at 52.9%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Mali peaked at 71.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 52.9%, in 2020.
That places Mali 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Mali, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 71.0% | — |
| 1955 | 70.7% | -0.5% |
| 1960 | 70.3% | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 69.8% | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 69.3% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 68.4% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 68.4% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 68.1% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 67.6% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 65.3% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 62.7% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 60.0% | -4.4% |
| 2010 | 57.3% | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 55.2% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 52.9% | -4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 70.9% | 70.7% | 71.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 70.1% | 69.8% | 70.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 68.8% | 68.4% | 69.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 68.3% | 68.1% | 68.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 66.5% | 65.3% | 67.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 61.4% | 60.0% | 62.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 56.3% | 55.2% | 57.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 52.9% | 52.9% | 52.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mali
- 23 Madagascar 57.1% compare
- 24 Dominica 57.1% compare
- 25 Papua New Guinea 53.7% compare
- 27 East Timor 50.6% compare
- 28 Burkina Faso 50.6% compare
- 29 Niger 50.6% compare
More population data for Mali
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3916 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.717 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3916 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5014 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 47,440 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.95 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4401 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 65.03 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.87 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Mali?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Mali was 52.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 71.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.9% in 2020.
- How does Mali rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Mali ranks 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.