Mali: Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Mali's net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) rose 48.92 billion on 2019 (from 471.16 billion to 520.09 billion).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2019), the average change was +24.3 billion and a typical year strayed about 135.14 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 283.87 billion in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 302.85 billion in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is upward, about 46.53 billion a year. A straight line explains 58% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

Closest to Mali in the 2020 ranking

• Cabo Verde — 2nd of 8: 16.42 billion
• Bhutan — 3rd of 8: 11.71 billion
• Bahrain — 4th of 8: 1.14 billion

What this measures

Net incurrence of government liabilities includes foreign financing (obtained from nonresidents) and domestic financing (obtained from residents), or the means by which a government provides financial resources to cover a budget deficit or allocates financial resources arising from a budget surplus. The net incurrence of liabilities should be offset by the net acquisition of financial assets. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 20 values

Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — -778.29 billion (2024)
• Botswana — 8.29 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 900.19 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 181.93 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 16.42 billion (2020)
• Cameroon — 593.86 billion (2021)
• Central African Republic — 50.67 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1.39 trillion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 119.5 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire

More public sector data for Mali

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 952.9 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 554.09 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.87% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 64 million (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 41,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.54% (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 14.8% (2025)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 593.21 billion (2020)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 4.98% (2020)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Mali's net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU)?

520.09 billion in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 1,374% from 35.28 billion in 2000 (14.4% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 520.09 billion in 2020 and the lowest -129.41 billion in 2012.

Is the latest change in net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) unusual for Mali?

In 2020, Mali's net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) rose 48.92 billion on 2019 (from 471.16 billion to 520.09 billion). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2019), the average change was +24.3 billion and a typical year strayed about 135.14 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.LBL.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.