Mali's prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 12.1% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 6.1 percentage points from 6% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 12.1% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 4.7% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 6% | 2014 |
| Highest | 14.3% | 2001 |
| Lowest | 4.7% | 2019 |
| Average since 2015 | 7.25% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 14.3% | 2001 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Mali's prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) did not change 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 12.1% to 12.1%).
Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −0.1 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.12 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 2.6 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.4 percentage points in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.8 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 65% 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.
How it compares
In 2024, Mali had the 44th highest value of the 164 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Mali | 12.1% | 2024 |
| World | 8.1% | 2024 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 22.31% | 2024 |
| Low income | 27.33% | 2024 |
Closest to Mali in the 2024 ranking
- Guatemala — 41st of 164: 12.7%
- Suriname — 42nd of 164: 12.7%
- Jordan — 43rd of 164: 12.2%
- Burkina Faso — 45th of 164: 11.7%
- Côte d'Ivoire — 46th of 164: 11.4%
- South Africa — 47th of 164: 11.2%
What this measures
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.
Limitations: The prevalence of undernourishment is a model-based estimate, and its reliability depends on the quality of the data used to estimate the model parameters. Measurement errors may affect estimates of dietary energy consumption derived from household surveys and Food Balance Sheets. Because of the probabilistic nature of the estimation and uncertainty associated with the model parameters, the precision of PoU estimates is generally low. National-level PoU point estimates are available only when they exceed 2.5 percent.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 24 values
| Year | Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 12.1 |
| 2023 | 12.1 |
| 2022 | 9.9 |
| 2021 | 7.3 |
| 2020 | 4.7 |
| 2019 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2017 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 5.5 |
| 2015 | 5.9 |
| 2014 |
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in nearby economies
- Angola — 17.4% (2024)
- Benin — 11.1% (2024)
- Botswana — 18.2% (2024)
- Burkina Faso — 11.7% (2024)
- Cabo Verde — 8.1% (2024)
- Cameroon — 4.9% (2024)
- Central African Republic — 29.8% (2024)
- Chad — 33.6% (2024)
- Comoros — 16.5% (2024)
- Congo, Dem. Rep.
More health data for Mali
- Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 17.21% (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 17.26% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female — 5.71 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 45.71% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male — 5.83 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 45.88% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total — 11.54 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 45.79% (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 15.09% (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male (% of male population)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Mali's prevalence of undernourishment (% of population)?
- 12.1% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2001?
- It is down 2.2 percentage points from 14.3% in 2001. The highest value was 14.3% in 2001 and the lowest 4.7% in 2019.
- How does Mali rank?
- 44th highest of 164 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) unusual for Mali?
- In 2024, Mali's prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) did not change 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 12.1% to 12.1%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −0.1 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.12 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), uri: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home 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.
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