In 2023, Mali consumed about 4.4 TWh of electricity. Fossil sources supplied roughly 2.5 TWh, or 57%, while low-carbon sources contributed almost 1.9 TWh, or 43%. Hydropower provided about 1.6 TWh, accounting for most clean electricity and more than a third of the total. Electricity consumption averaged just 193 kWh per person—about 5% of the global average of 3,794 kWh, or roughly one-twentieth as much. Such limited electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, irrigation and business activity, while making reliable refrigeration and digital services harder to provide. Expanding clean electricity would support development while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and their associated air pollution and climate impacts.

Is Electricity Growing in Mali?

Mali’s latest per-person figures do not show electricity growth. Consumption fell from the previous record of 200 kWh per person in 2022 to 193 kWh in 2023, a decrease of 7 kWh, or about 4%. Low-carbon generation reached 78 kWh per person, compared with its record of 82 kWh in 2016—also about 5% below its peak. These gaps are concerning given Mali’s substantial need for more electricity. However, per-person figures alone do not establish whether total electricity generation declined, because population growth also affects them.

Suggestions

Mali should prioritize expanding solar electricity alongside transmission, distribution, storage and local mini-grids. South Africa’s 20 TWh of solar generation offers an African reference point, while Pakistan’s 41 TWh and India’s 205 TWh demonstrate substantial solar deployment in places with strong sunshine and growing electricity needs. Mali can learn from their approaches to procurement, workforce development and connecting projects to the grid, while adapting them to local conditions. Nuclear electricity also deserves consideration in long-term planning, including through regional cooperation: South Africa generates 12 TWh from nuclear, while the United Arab Emirates produces 32 TWh. These examples illustrate how nuclear can complement solar with steady low-carbon electricity. Building the necessary institutions, technical skills and regional electricity connections would help Mali pursue a much larger clean electricity supply.

History

Mali’s recorded low-carbon electricity history has largely been shaped by hydropower. In the 2000s, biofuels added 0.1 TWh in 2000, while hydro increased by 0.2 TWh in 2005 and by 0.1 TWh in both 2008 and 2009. Several listed years recorded no hydro growth. The 2010s brought larger hydro additions, including 0.4 TWh in 2010, 0.3 TWh in 2014 and another 0.4 TWh in 2016. In 2020, both solar and hydro added 0.1 TWh; solar generation then remained unchanged in 2021. Hydro added another 0.3 TWh in 2022. These gains provide a foundation for sustained expansion, particularly through much greater solar deployment and long-term consideration of nuclear electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade