Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Mali
Mali: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 2.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Mali, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Mali stood at 2.8%.
That represents a change of down 3.2% on the previous year and up 101.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Mali peaked at 4.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2003.
Mali ranks 153rd of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Mali, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.4% | — |
| 1992 | 1.5% | +6.0% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | -4.3% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 1.4% | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 1.4% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -6.5% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | +11.1% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -4.9% |
| 2016 | 1.4% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | +9.6% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | +103.1% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | +7.2% |
| 2021 | 4.0% | +13.5% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | -40.4% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | +23.5% |
| 2024 | 2.9% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 2.8% | -3.2% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 2.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.4%, 64% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Mali's 2.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 52% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Mali changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +103.1% | 1.6% | 3.3% |
| 2022 | -40.4% | 4.0% | 2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.4% | 4.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mali
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 unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Mali?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Mali was 2.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2003.
- How does Mali rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Mali ranks 153rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 101.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mali data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.