Government efforts to contain the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 and the security crises were not enough to sustain the downward trend of poverty which reached 44.1% in 2021, up from 41.9% in 2020.  Altogether 68.3% continue to suffer from multiple overlapping deprivations. Poverty reduction will remain a major concern and will be driven by strengthening the productivity and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations (SDG 10) to support the acceleration of sustainable economic transformation (SDG 8).

Strengthening the social protection system, which currently benefits 9.3% of the population, and increasing access to basic services (SDGs 3, 4, 6, 7) will ensure the productive inclusion of poor populations (SDG 8) and reduce inequalities (SDG 10) and the extent of social deprivation. The government will provide the means to build the capacity of the poor to exploit and benefit from the green economy and support them to better adapt to climatic hazards (SDG ). Sustainability will be promoted by providing the poor with alternatives for their survival, such as clean cooking and sustainable farming, to alleviate their traditional activities’ detrimental effect on the environment (SDG 13 & SDG 15).

Mali has made encouraging progress in terms of gender equality, although significant challenges persist. The ratio of female-to-male mean years of education received reached 108.5% in 2021 while 27.3% of seats in parliament are held by women. However, the ratio of the activity rate of women to men (67.4% in 2022) has not improved, illustrating the need to strengthen policies and programmes for women's access to productive resources and their socio-economic empowerment.

The government will scale up the fight against gender-based violence while expanding the geographic coverage of holistic gender-based violence care services in conflict-affected areas. Women's leadership and their socio-economic empowerment will be further strengthened by improving their financial inclusion (SDG 9) and by providing incentives for girls to opt for science courses (SDG 4). Women, who  represent 60% of agricultural labour force and 80% of food production labour, will be enabled to play a transformative role for land conservation (SDG 15) and climate action (SDG 13).

Between 2020 and 2021, the unemployment rate increased from 5.2% in 2020 to 7.5% in 2021. From 2017 to 2021, the unemployment rate remains higher for women than for men. Similarly, the unemployment rate for young people under 25 rose from 8.8% in 2020 to 13.3% in 2021. This reflects the challenge for integrating young people into the labour force. Employment challenges arise mainly in terms of underemployment and precarious employment with 92% of informal jobs in the non-agricultural sector.

The government's response will focus on adapting labour market regulations to promote access to employment, thereby accelerating the diversification of the economy, developing the skills of young people and women (SDG 4) and introducing an adequate system to support self-employment and entrepreneurship. The government will also focus on improving access for crafts and tourism businesses to credit and markets (SDG 9). The social protection-employment nexus will be mobilized as an accelerator to ensure productive inclusion that enables the most vulnerable people, including people living with disabilities, to benefit from economic opportunities (SDG 10).

The proportion of the population living in inadequate housing remained low between 2017 and 2020 both in rural areas (falling from 8.5% to 3.2%) and in urban areas (a drop of 0.4 percentage points). However, a record percentage point gain was noted in rural areas. Notable actions implemented recently concern the dematerialization of land archives, the establishment of  Unique National Cadastral Identification Numbers and the development of municipal cadastres, which constitute innovative initiatives for securing land.

The construction of sustainable cities to improve the living environment in urban areas will be based on an adequate cadastral and urban planning policy to mitigate the effects of climate change (SDG 13). It will also consider structuring and transformative actions in terms of improved sanitation (SDG 6) and living conditions in poor peri-urban neighbourhoods and the development of urban road infrastructure (SDG 9). The implementation of a sustainable solid waste management policy will constitute a new niche for job promotion (SDG 8) and will contribute to improving the health of populations (SG 3).

Since 2012, Mali has been facing the consequences of a multidimensional crisis that has shaken the foundations of the nation itself. This profound multidimensional crisis has its roots in the cumulative deficit of governance found principally in the socio-political, economic and security realms. The proportion of individuals aged 18 and over who are victims of physical, psychological or sexual violence stood at 0.8% in 2019. Only 23.2% of individuals aged 18 and over deem that travelling alone on foot in  their residential area poses no danger.The satisfaction of public services users declined between 2010 (44%) and 2020 (25%).

The government is convinced that peace, strong and effective institutions able to fight against corruption are prerequisites for the achievement of all the SDGs. It will continue its actions to rebuild the state and the social contract by emphasizing the implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement resulting from the Algiers process; by securing people and their property; by continuing the fight against corruption;  by accelerating the process of transferring resources and powers to local authorities; and by implementing the political transition agenda that should lead to the consolidation of the rule of law.