Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Mali
Mali: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 6.71 million in 2018. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Mali, 1998–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2018, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Mali stood at 6.71 million. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 24.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Mali peaked at 6.71 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4.61 million, in 1998.
That places Mali 10th out of 59 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Mali, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4.61 million | — |
| 2003 | 5.06 million | +9.8% |
| 2006 | 5.41 million | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 5.66 million | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 5.87 million | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 6.31 million | +7.4% |
| 2018 | 6.71 million | +6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.61 million | 4.61 million | 4.61 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 5.24 million | 5.06 million | 5.41 million | 2 |
| 2010s | 6.14 million | 5.66 million | 6.71 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mali
More education data for Mali
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 512,692 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 82,198 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 83,509 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.31 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.97 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.42 % change on previous year (2018)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1251 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Mali?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Mali was 6.71 million in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 6.71 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.61 million in 1998.
- How does Mali rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- Mali ranks 10th out of 59 countries with data for 2018.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release