Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mali instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
be 71.8% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mali, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 17.0 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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 18.4% more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 13.3% of people as of 2024.
see 79.5% less spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mali spends $104 as of 2023.
have 83.5% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Mali has 1.9 as of 2023.
have 38.8% less access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mali scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 29.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mali, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 3.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Mali, however, that number is 45.5% as of 2021.
make 76.1% less money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $1,193 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.9 times more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mali, there are 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 20.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Mali, 367.0 women do as of 2023.
be 61.6% less likely to be literate
In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.7% as of 2024. In Mali, it is 35.6% as of 2024.
be 9.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 45.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sri Lanka, 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.
be 32.6% less likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mali, about 36.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.3 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mali spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 75.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mali, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 91.2% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mali withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 90.9% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mali has 0.8 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 71.7% less CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mali emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 75.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mali, it causes 65.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Mali
Mali: At a glance
How big is Mali compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.