Population: 10,429,124 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 2,482,301; female 2,460,894)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,447,712; female 2,708,978)
65 years and over: 4% (male 155,178; female 174,061) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.01% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 49.5 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 18.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 119.44 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.5 years
male: 46.09 years
female: 48.96 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.96 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Malian(s)
adjective: Malian

Ethnic groups: Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%

Religions: Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%

Languages: French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 31%
male: 39.4%
female: 23.1% (1995 est.)