Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mali instead of Somalia, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
be 10.9% less likely to be obese
In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 13.3% of people as of 2024.
see 99.5% more spent on your healthcare
Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mali spends $104 as of 2023.
have 51.9% more access to essential health services
Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mali scores 41 as of 2021.
be 47.7% less likely to die by suicide
Somalia has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mali, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 85.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mali, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 17.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Somalia, 55.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Mali, however, that number is 45.5% as of 2021.
make 80.5% more money
Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $1,193 as of 2025.
Life
be 34.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Somalia, approximately 563.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Mali, 367.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Somalia, approximately 65.4 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.
be 34.2% less likely to be literate
In Somalia, the literacy rate is 54.1% as of 2022. In Mali, it is 35.6% as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.7% more likely to have internet access
In Somalia, approximately 27.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mali, about 36.8% do as of 2024.
be 14.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Somalia, approximately 75% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 86% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Infrastructure
live with 67.4% less strain on fresh water
Somalia withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mali withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 6.0 times more CO2
Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mali emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Somalia vs. Mali
Mali: At a glance
How big is Mali compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.