Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Mali
Mali: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) was 67.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
67.8%
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
28th
of 218 countries
All-time high
93.0%
in 1960
All-time low
67.8%
in 2025
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Rural population in Mali, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Mali recorded 67.8% for rural population in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Mali peaked at 93.0% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 67.8%, in 2025.
That places Mali 28th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Mali, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 93.0% | — |
| 1961 | 92.6% | -0.4% |
| 1962 | 92.3% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 91.9% | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 91.5% | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 91.1% | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 90.8% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 90.4% | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 90.0% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 89.6% | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 89.2% | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 88.9% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 88.5% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 88.2% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 87.8% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 87.5% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 87.2% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 86.9% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 86.6% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 86.2% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 86.0% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 85.7% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 85.4% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 85.1% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 84.8% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 84.5% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 84.3% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 84.0% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 83.8% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 83.6% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 83.4% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 83.2% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 83.0% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 82.8% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 82.6% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 82.4% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 82.2% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 81.9% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 81.6% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 81.3% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 81.0% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 80.7% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 80.3% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 79.9% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 79.5% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 79.1% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 78.7% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 78.3% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 77.8% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 77.3% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 76.9% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 76.4% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 75.8% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 75.3% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 74.7% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 74.2% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 73.6% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 72.9% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 72.3% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 71.6% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 71.0% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 70.3% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 69.6% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 69.0% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 68.4% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 67.8% | -0.9% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 67.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 65.5%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Mali's 67.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 55.1%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 91.3% | 89.6% | 93.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 87.7% | 86.2% | 89.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 84.7% | 83.6% | 86.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 82.4% | 81.3% | 83.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.3% | 77.3% | 81.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.4% | 71.6% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.3% | 67.8% | 71.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mali
- 25 Saint Kitts and Nevis 68.1% compare
- 26 Uganda 68.1% compare
- 27 Kenya 67.8% compare
- 29 Channel Islands 67.4% compare
- 30 Madagascar 67.1% compare
- 31 Bangladesh 66.8% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Mali
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 1.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0003 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.3663 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.4046 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0015 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 1.74 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3302 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 394.01 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.03 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Mali?
- Rural population in Mali was 67.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 93.0% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 67.8% in 2025.
- How does Mali rank for rural population?
- Mali ranks 28th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.