Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali

Mali: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 40.5% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
40.5%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
44th
of 72 countries
All-time high
40.5%
in 2019
All-time low
7.0%
in 1987
Years of data
10
1987–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali, 1987–2019

102030401987200320191987: 7 % of children under 6 months1996: 8.4 % of children under 6 months2001: 25.1 % of children under 6 months2006: 33.4 % of children under 6 months2010: 20.2 % of children under 6 months2013: 33.8 % of children under 6 months2015: 31.5 % of children under 6 months2017: 37.3 % of children under 6 months2018: 40.2 % of children under 6 months2019: 40.5 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

In 2019, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali stood at 40.5%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 100.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali peaked at 40.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 7.0%, in 1987.

That places Mali 44th out of 72 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7.0% 7.0% 7.0% 1
1990s 8.4% 8.4% 8.4% 1
2000s 29.3% 25.1% 33.4% 2
2010s 33.9% 20.2% 40.5% 6

Countries ranked near Mali

  1. 41 Senegal 40.8% compare
  2. 42 Turkey 40.7% compare
  3. 43 Cuba 40.6% compare
  4. 45 Mauritania 40.3% compare
  5. 46 Haiti 39.9% compare
  6. 47 Egypt 39.5% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Mali

All data for Mali →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali was 40.5% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Mali?
The highest recorded value was 40.5% in 2019.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Mali?
The lowest recorded value was 7.0% in 1987.
How does Mali rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Mali ranks 44th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Mali?
Over the last ten years it is up 100.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Mali data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.