Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mali
Mali: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 14.55 million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mali, 1994–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Mali recorded 14.55 million people for number of people living in extreme poverty in 2021.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and up 149.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Mali peaked at 14.69 million people in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.06 million people, in 1994.
Mali ranks 52nd of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mali, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 1.06 million people | — |
| 2001 | 3.76 million people | +254.1% |
| 2006 | 5.08 million people | +35.3% |
| 2009 | 5.82 million people | +14.6% |
| 2018 | 14.69 million people | +152.2% |
| 2021 | 14.55 million people | -0.9% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 14.55 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.33 million people, 1.6× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Mali's 14.55 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.66 million people, 1.4× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.06 million people | 1.06 million people | 1.06 million people | 1 |
| 2000s | 4.89 million people | 3.76 million people | 5.82 million people | 3 |
| 2010s | 14.69 million people | 14.69 million people | 14.69 million people | 1 |
| 2020s | 14.55 million people | 14.55 million people | 14.55 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mali
More poverty & inequality data for Mali
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 5.61 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,588 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -4.99 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 15.51 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 15.5% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Mali?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Mali was 14.55 million people in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 14.69 million people in 2018.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.06 million people in 1994.
- How does Mali rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Mali ranks 52nd out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 149.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.