Share of children who have completed primary school in Mali
Mali: Share of children who have completed primary school was 50.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Share of children who have completed primary school in Mali, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of children who have completed primary school in Mali stood at 50.0%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who have completed primary school in Mali peaked at 50.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.3%, in 1987.
That places Mali 158th out of 165 countries with data for 2025, 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 who have completed primary school in Mali, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 12.3% | — |
| 1982 | 12.4% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 12.5% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 12.5% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 12.4% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 12.3% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 12.3% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 12.3% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 12.4% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 12.5% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 12.7% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 12.9% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 13.1% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 13.5% | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 14.0% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 14.6% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 15.3% | +5.2% |
| 1998 | 16.3% | +6.5% |
| 1999 | 17.6% | +8.0% |
| 2000 | 19.1% | +8.3% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | +8.7% |
| 2002 | 22.4% | +8.1% |
| 2003 | 24.2% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 26.0% | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 27.8% | +7.0% |
| 2006 | 29.5% | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 31.2% | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 33.1% | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 35.1% | +6.1% |
| 2010 | 37.1% | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 38.9% | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 40.2% | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 41.3% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 42.2% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 43.1% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 44.0% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 44.8% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 45.7% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 46.5% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 47.1% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 47.6% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 48.1% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 48.6% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 49.3% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 50.0% | +1.4% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 50.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 57.7%, 87% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Mali's 50.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 69% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.4% | 12.3% | 12.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 14.3% | 12.5% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.9% | 19.1% | 35.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.4% | 37.1% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.5% | 47.1% | 50.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mali
- 155 Mozambique 53.5% compare
- 156 Mauritania 51.8% compare
- 157 Haiti 50.5% compare
- 159 Chad 37.8% compare
- 160 Central African Republic 30.8% compare
- 161 Guinea-Bissau 30.5% 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 who have completed primary school in Mali?
- Share of children who have completed primary school in Mali was 50.0% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 50.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.3% in 1987.
- How does Mali rank for share of children who have completed primary school?
- Mali ranks 158th out of 165 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of children who have completed primary school rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. 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) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who have completed primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of children who are three to five years older than the official age for the last grade of primary education who have successfully completed it. This broader age band is used to include children who started school late or had to resit particular years.