If you lived in Mali instead of Senegal, you would:

Health

have 72.5% more doctors per person

Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Mali has 1.9 as of 2023.

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be 38.5% less likely to die by suicide

Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mali, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 8.2 years less

In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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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be 14.7% more likely to be obese

In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 13.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 49.5% less spent on your healthcare

Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mali spends $104 as of 2023.

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have 18.0% less access to essential health services

Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mali scores 41 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 21.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Mali, however, that number is 45.5% as of 2021.

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make 39.0% less money

Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $1,193 as of 2025.

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Life

have 35.5% more children

In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 54.9% more likely to die during childbirth

In Senegal, approximately 237.0 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 29.2% less likely to be literate

In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In Mali, it is 35.6% as of 2024.

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be 64.4% more likely to die during infancy

In Senegal, approximately 28.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Mali, on the other hand, 47.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 26.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% 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 38.8% less likely to have internet access

In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mali, about 36.8% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 32.1% less on education

Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mali spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 11.8% less on healthcare

Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mali, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

live with 50.9% less strain on fresh water

Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mali withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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find 80.9% less home broadband

Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mali has 0.8 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 61.0% less CO2

Senegal emits 0.8 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), 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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