Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mali
Mali: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 66.0% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
66.0%
World rank
196th
of 209 countries
All-time high
66.0%
in 2023
All-time low
0.0%
in 1820
Years of data
56
1820–2023
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mali, 1820–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mali stood at 66.0%. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mali peaked at 66.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Mali 196th out of 209 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mali, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | — |
| 1830 | 0.0% | — |
| 1835 | 0.0% | — |
| 1840 | 0.0% | — |
| 1845 | 0.0% | — |
| 1850 | 0.0% | — |
| 1855 | 0.0% | — |
| 1860 | 0.0% | — |
| 1865 | 0.0% | — |
| 1870 | 0.0% | — |
| 1875 | 0.0% | — |
| 1880 | 0.0% | — |
| 1885 | 0.0% | +100.0% |
| 1890 | 0.0% | +50.0% |
| 1895 | 0.1% | +66.7% |
| 1900 | 0.1% | +80.0% |
| 1905 | 0.1% | +55.6% |
| 1910 | 0.2% | +57.1% |
| 1915 | 0.3% | +54.5% |
| 1920 | 0.5% | +50.0% |
| 1925 | 0.8% | +49.0% |
| 1930 | 1.1% | +48.7% |
| 1935 | 1.6% | +46.0% |
| 1940 | 1.6% | -1.8% |
| 1945 | 2.6% | +61.1% |
| 1950 | 3.6% | +37.9% |
| 1955 | 4.9% | +35.8% |
| 1960 | 6.7% | +36.4% |
| 1965 | 16.0% | +139.9% |
| 1970 | 15.0% | -6.2% |
| 1971 | 16.4% | +9.4% |
| 1972 | 17.0% | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 17.4% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 19.8% | +13.9% |
| 1975 | 18.0% | -8.9% |
| 1977 | 19.7% | +9.3% |
| 1980 | 17.0% | -13.6% |
| 1999 | 40.0% | +135.5% |
| 2002 | 47.7% | +19.2% |
| 2003 | 48.1% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 48.5% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 53.5% | +10.4% |
| 2006 | 54.7% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 56.7% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 63.3% | +11.7% |
| 2010 | 64.1% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 64.8% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 62.5% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 58.4% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 59.2% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 56.6% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 57.9% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 63.0% | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 54.9% | -12.8% |
| 2023 | 66.0% | +20.1% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 66.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 69.5%, 95% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Mali's 66.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.5%, 78% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1930s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.1% | 1.6% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 1950s | 4.2% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 11.3% | 6.7% | 16.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 17.6% | 15.0% | 19.8% | 7 |
| 1980s | 17.0% | 17.0% | 17.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 40.0% | 40.0% | 40.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.2% | 47.7% | 63.3% | 7 |
| 2010s | 60.1% | 54.9% | 64.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 66.0% | 66.0% | 66.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mali
- 193 Guinea-Bissau 69.5% compare
- 194 Yemen 69.4% compare
- 195 Lesotho 67.8% compare
- 197 Burkina Faso 65.7% compare
- 198 Angola 63.2% compare
- 199 Central African Republic 62.1% compare
More education data for Mali
- 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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mali?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mali was 66.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 66.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Mali rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Mali ranks 196th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.