Literacy in Mali
Mali: Literacy was 35.63 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
35.63
World rank
87th
of 89 countries
All-time high
35.63
in 2024
All-time low
9.43
in 1976
Years of data
9
1976–2024
Literacy in Mali, 1976–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Mali recorded 35.63 for literacy in 2024. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy in Mali peaked at 35.63 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.43, in 1976.
That places Mali 87th out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy in Mali, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 9.43 | — |
| 1998 | 19.04 | +101.9% |
| 2003 | 24 | +26.1% |
| 2006 | 26.18 | +9.1% |
| 2010 | 31.1 | +18.8% |
| 2011 | 30.62 | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 33.07 | +8.0% |
| 2018 | 35.47 | +7.3% |
| 2024 | 35.63 | +0.5% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 35.63 is below the median for low income countries, which is 60.46, 59% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Mali's 35.63 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.87, 50% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.43 | 9.43 | 9.43 | 1 |
| 1990s | 19.04 | 19.04 | 19.04 | 1 |
| 2000s | 25.09 | 24 | 26.18 | 2 |
| 2010s | 32.56 | 30.62 | 35.47 | 4 |
| 2020s | 35.63 | 35.63 | 35.63 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mali
- 84 Burkina Faso 41.57 compare
- 85 Guinea 39.62 compare
- 86 Afghanistan 37.27 compare
- 88 Niger 35.61 compare
- 89 Chad 30.63 compare
More education data for Mali
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 62.8 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 65.99 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 80,395 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy in Mali?
- Literacy in Mali was 35.63 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 35.63 in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.43 in 1976.
- How does Mali rank for literacy?
- Mali ranks 87th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).