People

Age structure:

0-14 years: 47% (male 2 405 624; female 2 383 728)

15-64 years: 49% (male 2 367 538; female 2 628 399)

65 years and over: 4% (male 152 999; female 170 281) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.24% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 49.88 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 19.04 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.57 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 121.72 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 47.03 years

male: 45.67 years

female: 48.43 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.02 children born/woman (1998 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.)