Country explorer: Mali

Mali has experienced substantial social and economic transformations, reflected by a considerable increase in GDP per capita, significant shifts in the distribution of the population across different poverty thresholds, a notable rise in unemployment rates, and fluctuations in inflation rates, sharing common challenges with its low-income peers but with distinct severity in unemployment and inflation dynamics.

Mali has experienced significant population growth, marked by high fertility rates and a challenging net migration situation, in the context of improvements in life expectancy similar to trends observed in other low-income countries, reflecting broader demographic and health challenges.

Mali has demonstrated modest improvements in access to electricity and very limited progress in access to clean fuels for cooking, sharing challenges common to low-income countries in enhancing basic utility access amidst resource constraints.

Mali has experienced modest improvements in human development as evidenced by slight increases in the Human Development Index, reductions in child mortality rates, incremental gains in literacy rates, and a gradual rise in average learning-adjusted years of schooling, reflective of broader trends in low-income countries but with notable challenges remaining in educational quality and health outcomes.

Mali has demonstrated notable resilience and adaptability in managing its environment and energy resources amidst challenges shared with its peers, such as decreasing per capita CO₂ emissions, increasing investment in renewable energy sources—especially solar—while maintaining stable forest area and managing freshwater resources in the face of regional pressures.

Mali has witnessed modest but important strides in digital and technological advancement, as evidenced by steady increases in internet usage and mobile phone subscriptions, paralleling trends in low-income countries, yet lagging significantly in research and development spending and scientific publications.

Mali has seen a gradual yet notable shift in its cultural and societal norms, characterized by a slight increase in immigration, progressive improvements in self-reported life satisfaction, persistent gender inequality albeit with slight improvements, and a significant rise in the age dependency ratio, reflecting broader trends observed in many low-income countries.

Mali has faced challenges in governance, reflected by declines in rule of law, corruption perception, civil liberties, and press freedom, positioning it as a country struggling with governance issues more significantly than some of its peers in the region and among low-income countries.