Languages of Mali
| Languages of Mali | |
|---|---|
Sign in French at Ouélessébougou town hall | |
| Official | Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fula, Arabic, Kassonke, Maninke, Minyanka, Senufo, Songhay languages, Soninke, Tamasheq |
| Semi-official | African French (working language) |
| Indigenous | Bambara, Bomu, Bozo, Mamara, Maninkakan, Soninke, Songhay, Syenara, Tamasheq, Xaasongaxango |
| Vernacular | Arabic |
| Foreign | Arabic |
| Signed | Francophone African Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
Mali is a multilingual country of about 21.9 million people. The languages spoken there reflect ancient settlement patterns, migrations, and its long history. Ethnologue counts more than 80 languages. Of these, Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fula, Arabic, Kassonke, Maninke, Minyanka, Senufo, Songhay languages, Soninke and Tamasheq are official languages.
French is the working language. In 2024, the Francophone population of Mali represents 20%, which is approximately 4,884,000 people. Among them, 6.4% (around 1,491,000 individuals) speak French as their first language. Additionally, approximately 3,329,144 people, or 13.6% of the total population of 24,479,000, use French as a second language.