Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali
Mali: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 40.5% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali, 1987–2019
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.
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Mali, year by year
| Year | % of children under 6 months | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 7.0% | — |
| 1996 | 8.4% | +20.0% |
| 2001 | 25.1% | +198.8% |
| 2006 | 33.4% | +33.1% |
| 2010 | 20.2% | -39.7% |
| 2013 | 33.8% | +67.6% |
| 2015 | 31.5% | -6.9% |
| 2017 | 37.3% | +18.5% |
| 2018 | 40.2% | +7.9% |
| 2019 | 40.5% | +0.5% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 40.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 53.8%, 75% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Mali's 40.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.6%, 75% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More reference data data for Mali
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3081 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4025 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.4728 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 39.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.19 (2050)
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
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.