Photo: Arensond · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 04 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Mali: Education & Knowledge
How far does a country's schooling carry its children?
Mali is placed joint 174th of 198 countries on education & knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Out-of-School Rate, Primary 34.01 (2024); Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary 29.04 (2024).
Share
Education & Knowledge
joint174th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 34.01Out-of-School Rate, Primary, 2024Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
- 29.04Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, 2024Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
- 11.29Upper Secondary Completion Rate, 2025Upper secondary completion rate (%)
- 4.185Government Spending on Education, 2023Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Mali on education & knowledge — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Mali’s is from 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
34.01
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
Lower is better
Mali: 34.01. Across the 192 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.004 (United Arab Emirates) to 65.6 (Equatorial Guinea); the world median is 3.691.
- World median
- 3.691
- Best in Western Africa
- 0.639 Togo
- Land neighbours
- Burkina Faso 34.29 · Côte d’Ivoire 12.6 · Algeria 1.58 · Guinea 14.73 · Mauritania 11.26 · Niger 40.41 · Senegal 24.53
Key 2 of 4
Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Mali’s is from 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
29.04
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
Higher is better
Mali: 29.04. Across the 187 countries at their latest reading, values run from 3.411 (Yemen) to 100 (United Arab Emirates); the world median is 85.9.
- World median
- 85.9
- Best in Western Africa
- 90.61 Togo
- Land neighbours
- Burkina Faso 16.03 · Côte d’Ivoire 20.62 · Algeria 75.16 · Guinea 46.87 · Niger 20.02 · Senegal 25.39
Key 3 of 4
Upper Secondary Completion Rate
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
11.29
Upper secondary completion rate (%)
Higher is better
Mali: 11.29. Across the 164 countries in this edition, values run from 2.13 (South Sudan) to 99.27 (South Korea); the world median is 64.87.
- World median
- 64.87
- Best in Western Africa
- 57.75 Nigeria
- Land neighbours
- Burkina Faso 16.04 · Côte d’Ivoire 16.89 · Algeria 50.71 · Guinea 24.98 · Mauritania 22.95 · Niger 4.95 · Senegal 16.22
Key 4 of 4
Government Spending on Education
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
4.185
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Higher is better
Mali: 4.185. Across the 123 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Somalia) to 16.39 (Kiribati); the world median is 3.709.
- World median
- 3.709
- Best in Western Africa
- 6.163 Senegal
- Land neighbours
- Burkina Faso 5.328 · Côte d’Ivoire 3.394 · Algeria 5.61 · Guinea 1.725 · Mauritania 4.715 · Niger 4.074 · Senegal 6.163
02Over time
Which way Mali is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%) · lower is better
MaliWorld median
Mali fell from 52.28 in 2002 to 34.01 in 2023; the world median went from 4.144 to 3.393.
Every year’s figures
Year Mali World median 2024 — 3.691 2023 34.0 3.393 2022 — 3.002 2021 — 3.330 2020 — 2.678 2019 — 2.758 2018 45.1 2.439 2017 37.0 2.907 2016 42.1 2.954 2015 43.4 3.052 2014 40.8 3.904 2013 41.6 3.413 2012 37.5 3.408 2011 35.2 3.626 2010 35.9 3.491 2009 36.7 3.577 2008 — 3.878 2007 43.3 4.029 2006 45.3 4.338 2005 46.5 4.571 2004 51.5 3.791 2003 51.9 4.412 2002 52.3 4.144 2001 — 4.051 2000 — 8.642 Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) · higher is better
MaliWorld median
Mali fell from 46.77 in 2009 to 29.04 in 2023; the world median went from 84.79 to 87.61.
Every year’s figures
Year Mali World median 2024 — 85.9 2023 29.0 87.6 2022 — 87.7 2021 — 87.0 2020 — 88.3 2019 — 88.8 2018 41.4 89.6 2017 46.1 87.4 2016 42.9 87.9 2015 40.9 88.2 2014 41.7 89.2 2013 40.5 88.0 2012 — 85.4 2011 48.3 86.2 2010 48.1 86.1 2009 46.8 84.8 2008 — 85.8 2007 — 86.7 2006 — 84.0 2005 — 82.2 2004 — 81.8 2003 — 78.3 2002 — 80.0 2001 — 80.8 2000 — 66.3 Upper Secondary Completion Rate
Upper secondary completion rate (%) · higher is better
MaliWorld median
Mali rose from 4.6 in 2000 to 11.29 in 2025; the world median went from 38 to 64.87.
Every year’s figures
Year Mali World median 2025 11.29 64.9 2024 11.10 65.0 2023 10.91 64.2 2022 10.68 63.6 2021 10.39 62.9 2020 10.14 62.2 2019 9.90 61.5 2018 9.86 60.9 2017 10.02 60.5 2016 10.23 60.1 2015 10.30 58.9 2014 10.17 57.0 2013 10.05 54.7 2012 9.82 52.4 2011 9.41 50.9 2010 8.89 49.5 2009 8.37 48.5 2008 7.90 47.4 2007 7.33 46.2 2006 6.71 45.0 2005 6.06 43.8 2004 5.58 42.9 2003 5.20 41.6 2002 4.94 40.3 2001 4.77 39.0 2000 4.60 38.0 Government Spending on Education
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP) · higher is better
MaliWorld median
Mali rose from 2.972 in 2000 to 4.185 in 2023; the world median went from 3.886 to 3.709.
Every year’s figures
Year Mali World median 2023 4.18 3.7092 2022 4.05 4.0570 2021 3.66 4.2611 2020 3.34 4.4056 2019 3.00 4.1407 2018 2.98 4.2159 2017 3.18 4.1401 2016 2.59 4.2342 2015 3.20 4.2386 2014 3.09 4.2005 2013 2.76 4.3493 2012 2.91 4.0348 2011 3.15 3.9987 2010 2.71 4.1396 2009 3.14 4.6638 2008 2.73 4.4226 2007 — 4.1717 2006 — 4.0593 2005 2.75 4.0557 2004 2.96 3.9745 2003 3.81 4.1595 2002 2.90 4.0173 2001 2.66 4.1002 2000 2.97 3.8861
03In context
Mali beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on education & knowledge, never a place within the region.
Mali and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Out-of-School Rate, PrimaryOut-of-school rate, primary age (%) | Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before PrimaryChildren one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) | Upper Secondary Completion RateUpper secondary completion rate (%) | Government Spending on EducationGovernment expenditure on education (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Algeria | =87th | 1.58 | 75.16 | 50.71 | 5.61 |
 Mauritania | 143rd | 11.26 | — | 22.95 | 4.715 |
 Senegal | 159th | 24.53 | 25.39 | 16.22 | 6.163 |
 Burkina Faso | 166th | 34.29 | 16.03 | 16.04 | 5.328 |
 Côte d’Ivoire | 173rd | 12.6 | 20.62 | 16.89 | 3.394 |
| Mali | =174th | 34.01 | 29.04 | 11.29 | 4.185 |
 Niger | 182nd | 40.41 | 20.02 | 4.95 | 4.074 |
 Guinea | 183rd | 14.73 | 46.87 | 24.98 | 1.725 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on education & knowledge
The countries immediately above and below Mali in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Mali is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under education & knowledge, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Behind the world median14
Statistics on which Mali does worse than the middle country measured.
Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.2810.619▼ Worsened since 2015
Mali: 0.281 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.
Position 130th of 176 · derived.
Research and Development SpendingUIS · 2023 · world median 0.8140.1470.814▼ Worsened since 2015
Mali: 0.147 · world median 0.814 · Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.006 to 6.346; higher is better.
Position 72nd of 84 · derived.
Learning PovertyWorld Bank Group and UNESCO Institute for Statistics · 2023 · world median 34.0290.4434.02No earlier reading
Mali: 90.44 · world median 34.02 · 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand a simple text (%). World Bank Group and UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2.331 to 98.5; lower is better.
Position 12th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Researchers per Million InhabitantsUIS · 2024 · world median 701.9526.04701.95No earlier reading
Mali: 26.04 · world median 701.95 · Researchers per million inhabitants (full-time equivalent). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.446 to 18,130; higher is better.
Position 136th of 145 · derived.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.0550.529No earlier reading
Mali: 0.055 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 89.2126.8789.21No real change since 2015
Mali: 26.87 · world median 89.21 · Lower secondary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13.73 to 100; higher is better.
Position 157th of 164 · derived.
Primary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 97.4350.0197.43No real change since 2015
Mali: 50.01 · world median 97.43 · Primary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 7.94 to 100; higher is better.
Position 158th of 165 · derived.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.6040.446No earlier reading
Mali: 0.604 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 6th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adult Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 93.9935.6393.99No earlier reading
Mali: 35.63 · world median 93.99 · Adults 15+ who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 169th of 172 · derived.
Harmonized Test ScoresWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 414.32307.36414.32No real change since 2017
Mali: 307.36 · world median 414.32 · Harmonized test score (TIMSS-equivalent points; 300 = minimum, 625 = advanced attainment). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 304.92 to 575.27; higher is better.
Position 170th of 172 · derived.
Learning-Adjusted Years of SchoolWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 7.9412.5787.941No real change since 2017
Mali: 2.578 · world median 7.941 · Learning-adjusted years of school (0–14). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 2.207 to 12.81; higher is better.
Position 170th of 172 · derived.
Youth Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 98.2250.3398.22No earlier reading
Mali: 50.33 · world median 98.22 · 15–24 year-olds who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 36.7 to 100; higher is better.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.347.01113.34No real change since 2013
Mali: 7.011 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 193rd of 195 · derived.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.9331.639.933No real change since 2013
Mali: 1.63 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 192nd of 193 · derived.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Trust in ScientistsWellcome Trust · 2020 · world median 34.3535.6834.35Moved since 2018
Mali: 35.68 · world median 34.35 · People aged 15+ who trust scientists in their country 'a lot' (%). Wellcome Trust, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 9.335 to 72.35.
Scholarly ArticlesOurResearch · 2025 · world median 2,2407002,240No real change since 2022
Mali: 700 · world median 2,240 · Articles with at least one author at an institution in the country (full counting). OpenAlex (OurResearch), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 1,094,890.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1716.0938.17No earlier reading
Mali: 16.09 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
No current reading for Mali
Bachelor's or Higher Attainment (last 2022), Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2015), Government Funding per Primary Student (last 2017), Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary (last 2015), Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age (last 2018), Out-of-School Rate, Primary (last 2023), Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 2015), Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary (last 2023), PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate (last 2023), Primary Schools with Electricity (last 2023), Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching (last 2023), Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary (last 2023), Qualified Teachers in Primary Education (last 2023), School Life Expectancy (last 2017), Secondary School Enrolment (last 2023), Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (last 2015) and Upper Secondary Attainment (last 2022). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Education & Knowledge among Mali’s 15 topics
Education & Knowledge is Mali’s 12th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability94th of 1864/4 keys
- Work & Labour105th of 1824/4 keys
- Energy103rd of 1652/3 keys
- Governance & Institutions133rd of 1944/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 143rd of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing151st of 2004/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience148th of 1934/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality122nd of 1593/3 keys
- Gender & Equality153rd of 1834/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties168th of 1984/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture161st of 1843/4 keys
- Education & Knowledgejoint 174th of 1984/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation158th of 1764/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 160th of 1774/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital185th of 1963/3 keys
No standing on Mobility & Trade: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on education & knowledge
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Mali can most readily be measured against.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 198 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
GreeceSouthern Europe
2nd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
PolandEastern Europe
3rd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
Moldova7th4/4 keysHighest in Africa
Tunisia=48th3/4 keysHighest in Western Africa
Togo94th4/4 keysThis page
Mali=174th4/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Mali on education & knowledge: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Mali rank on education & knowledge?
Mali is placed joint 174th of 198 countries on Education & Knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, Upper Secondary Completion Rate and Government Spending on Education). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Out-of-School Rate, Primary figure for Mali?
34.01 in 2024 (out-of-school rate, primary age (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 3.691.
What is the latest Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary figure for Mali?
29.04 in 2024 (children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 85.9.
How does Mali compare with Algeria on education & knowledge?
Algeria is placed joint 87th of 198, and Mali joint 174th. Out-of-School Rate, Primary: Algeria 1.58, Mali 34.01; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary: Algeria 75.16, Mali 29.04; Upper Secondary Completion Rate: Algeria 50.71, Mali 11.29; Government Spending on Education: Algeria 5.61, Mali 4.185.
How have Mali’s education & knowledge figures changed?
Out-of-School Rate, Primary fell from 52.28 in 2002 to 34.01 in 2023; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary fell from 46.77 in 2009 to 29.04 in 2023; Upper Secondary Completion Rate rose from 4.6 in 2000 to 11.29 in 2025; Government Spending on Education rose from 2.972 in 2000 to 4.185 in 2023.
Which education & knowledge statistics are missing for Mali?
No current reading is published for Mali on Bachelor's or Higher Attainment, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Government Funding per Primary Student, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age, Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate, Primary Schools with Electricity, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, School Life Expectancy, Secondary School Enrolment, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio and Upper Secondary Attainment. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
How much children actually learn is only partly covered. International test scores exist for a limited group of countries, and they are published here as context rather than used as a key, because a key must describe most of the world. Universities, research, and youth and adult literacy also appear as context.
How the Education & Knowledge standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The education & knowledge method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Out-of-School Rate, Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Upper Secondary Completion Rate — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Spending on Education — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Mali’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Mali (banner) — Arensond, CC0
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greece — User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Poland — Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich), CC BY 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Mali: Education & Knowledge — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/mali/education