If you lived in Mali instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 68.6% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 13.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 23.2% less likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mali, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 21.2 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 52.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mali, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.

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make 97.1% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $1,193 as of 2025.

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Life

have 6.9 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mali, there are 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 33.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Mali, 367.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 61.4% less likely to be literate

In Puerto Rico, the literacy rate is 92.4% as of 2021. In Mali, it is 35.6% as of 2024.

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be 7.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Mali, on the other hand, 47.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 45.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Puerto Rico, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Mali, that number is 54% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 57.8% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Mali, about 36.8% do as of 2024.

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be 13.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Puerto Rico, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Mali, 86% of people do as of 2024.

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Safety

be 61.6% more likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mali, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 59.1% less strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mali withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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find 97.2% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mali has 0.8 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 93.8% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mali emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021–2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Mali: At a glance

Mali is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,220,190 sq km. The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who was elected to a second term in 2007 elections that were widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali, and Tuareg ethnic militias started a rebellion in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the three northern regions of the country and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries, exacerbating regional food insecurity in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president in the second round.
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