Mali Literacy Rate
Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Mali's literacy rate was 35.47% in 2018, ranked 47th globally. This represents a 7.3% increase from 2017. Data from World Bank, covering 1976–2018.
Overview
Mali's literacy rate stood at 35.47% in 2018, a rise of +2.40pp from 2015. Mali ranked 47th globally.
Mali’s adult literacy rate has risen from a low of 9.43 % in 1976 to an all‑time peak of 35.47 % in 2018, placing the country 47th globally according to the World Bank. The eight‑year coverage of the series shows a gradual but persistent improvement, reflecting expanded primary education programmes and adult learning initiatives that have been pursued since the late 1990s. Compared with its West African neighbours, Mali lags behind Senegal’s 46.61 % and Guinea’s 39.62 % while remaining slightly above Niger’s 33.05 % and close to Burkina Faso’s 39.35 %. The modest gains suggest that policy focus on school enrolment and gender‑balanced access has begun to bear fruit, yet the gap with higher‑performing peers indicates substantial room for further progress. Continued investment in teacher training, infrastructure, and community‑based literacy campaigns could accelerate the upward trajectory and push Mali’s rate beyond the current peak in the coming decades.
Data & projection
| Year | Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 35.47% | +2.40pp | #47 |
| 2015 | 33.07% | +2.45pp | #46 |
| 2011 | 30.62% | −0.48pp | #52 |
| 2010 | 31.10% | +4.92pp | #46 |
| 2006 | 26.18% | +2.18pp | #26 |
| 2003 | 24.00% | +4.96pp | #12 |
| 1998 | 19.04% | +9.61pp | #5 |
| 1976 | 9.43% | – | #8 |
Analysis
Mali's literacy rate was 35.47% in 2018, a rise of +2.40pp from 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mali's literacy rate was 35.47% in 2018. Ranked 47th globally. This represents a 7.3% increase from the previous year.
Mali's literacy rate peaked at 35.47% in 2018.
The lowest literacy rate in Mali was 9.43% in 1976.
Mali ranks 47th globally in literacy rate as of 2018.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The literacy rate of Mali in 2018 was 35.47%. This ranks 47th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_mali_literacy-rate,
title = {Mali Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/mali/literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}