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)
- 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 →Everything we know about Mali
Countries near Mali
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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).
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 September 2026.