Mali's cities at a glance
Dots sized by population · Bamako in orange
Mali has 1 city with more than a million inhabitants and 10 with more than 100,000 (city-proper figures). The largest is Bamako with 4,227,569 people, followed by Sikasso (349,324) and Koutiala (218,031). The three largest cities together hold about 18.3% of the country's 26.1 million people.
The capital, Bamako, is also the largest city.
By region, the most large cities are in Sikasso (6), Koulikoro (6), Ségou (5).
Country-level figures — live population, births and deaths, growth, density and history — are on the Mali population page; provinces, terrain, rivers and society maps are in the Mali atlas.
Mali cities by population
| # | City | Region | Population | Share of Mali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BamakoCapital | Bamako | 4,227,569 | 16.2% |
| 2 | Sikasso | Sikasso | 349,324 | 1.3% |
| 3 | Koutiala | Sikasso | 218,031 | 0.8% |
| 4 | Ségou | Ségou | 205,787 | 0.8% |
| 5 | Kayes | Kayes | 194,716 | 0.7% |
| 6 | Mopti | Mopti | 186,187 | 0.7% |
| 7 | Kalaban Koro | Koulikoro | 148,247 | 0.6% |
| 8 | Gao | Gao | 133,110 | 0.5% |
| 9 | Kati | Koulikoro | 130,254 | 0.5% |
| 10 | San | Ségou | 103,227 | 0.4% |
| 11 | Bougouni | Sikasso | 90,234 | 0.3% |
| 12 | Timbuktu | Tombouctou | 84,208 | 0.3% |
| 13 | Kita | Kayes | 75,598 | 0.3% |
| 14 | Dialakorodji | Koulikoro | 70,619 | 0.3% |
| 15 | Koulikoro | Koulikoro | 64,128 | 0.2% |
| 16 | Fana | Koulikoro | 56,809 | 0.2% |
| 17 | Niono | Ségou | 52,584 | 0.2% |
| 18 | Nioro | Kayes | 51,933 | 0.2% |
| 19 | Kolokani | Koulikoro | 48,774 | 0.2% |
| 20 | Bourem | Gao | 42,371 | 0.2% |
| 21 | Massiogo | Sikasso | 41,317 | 0.2% |
| 22 | Djenné | Mopti | 40,489 | 0.2% |
| 23 | Kidal | Kidal | 40,030 | 0.2% |
| 24 | Kadiolo | Sikasso | 38,149 | 0.1% |
| 25 | Douentza | Mopti | 37,002 | 0.1% |
| 26 | Bla | Ségou | 33,779 | 0.1% |
| 27 | Moninnpébougou | Ségou | 32,899 | 0.1% |
| 28 | Zégoua | Sikasso | 31,593 | 0.1% |
| 29 | Diré | Tombouctou | 31,348 | 0.1% |
| 30 | Diéma | Kayes | 30,592 | 0.1% |
Cities with 300,000 or more people link to their own page. The list keeps every city of 100,000+ and at least the 30 largest places of the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest city in Mali?
Bamako, with about 4,227,569 inhabitants (city proper).
What is the capital of Mali?
Bamako — population 4,227,569, the largest city in the country.
How many cities in Mali have over one million people?
1: Bamako.
Are these metropolitan-area populations?
No. They are city-proper figures (the administrative city) from GeoNames, based on the latest census or official estimate. Metropolitan areas, which include suburbs and satellite towns, are larger — often several times larger for the biggest cities.
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SudanCite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Largest Cities in Mali 2026: Population Ranking. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/mali/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/mali/">Largest Cities in Mali 2026: Population Ranking</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.