Poverty and living standards in Gao, Mali: official figures
INSTAT's 2024 household survey (EMOP) puts the share of people below the national poverty line in Gao at 41.6%, 4th highest of the 8 regions the survey reports (Mali: 43.3%). The survey publishes results only for eight regions, with no figures for Kidal or the newer regions, so its Gao figure may cover a wider area than the region as drawn today.
What is housing like in Gao?
27.7% of households in Gao lived in housing that INSTAT classes as precarious in 2022, 3rd highest of Mali's 20 regions (counting Bamako) (Mali: 10.0%); 0.9% lived in a modern house.
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement · saved copyHow many households in Gao have a phone or a TV?
54.4% of households in Gao owned a mobile phone in 2022 and 17.5% a television, 3rd lowest of Mali's 20 regions (counting Bamako) for television (Mali: 80.0% and 51.9%).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement · saved copyHow many households in Gao have a car or motorbike?
26.8% of households in Gao owned a motorbike or motor tricycle in 2022 and 5.2% a car (Mali: 57.2% and 8.6%).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement · saved copyHow many homes in Gao have a flush toilet?
6.7% of households in Gao had a flush toilet in 2022, private or shared, 4th lowest of Mali's 20 regions (counting Bamako) (Mali: 19.4%).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement · saved copyWhat do households in Gao cook with?
33.3% of households in Gao cooked mainly with firewood in 2022 and 33.3% with charcoal (Mali: 49.4% and 38.7%); 0.5% used gas.
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement · saved copyHow Gao compares with other regions
Households in precarious dwellings (2022)
Gao ranks 3 of 20, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Households in precarious dwellings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taoudenni | 39.6% |
| 2 | Ménaka | 32.5% |
| 3 | Gao | 27.7% |
| 4 | Tombouctou | 24.4% |
| 5 | Nara | 23.2% |
| 6 | Kayes | 22.5% |
| 7 | Kita | 21.5% |
Households owning a television (2022)
Gao ranks 18 of 20, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Households owning a television |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Douentza | 28.5% |
| 15 | Nioro | 27.3% |
| 16 | Bandiagara | 24.8% |
| 17 | Nara | 24.2% |
| 18 | Gao | 17.5% |
| 19 | Taoudenni | 16.6% |
| 20 | Ménaka | 6.3% |
More on Gao: overview · economy and jobs · education and schools · Mali
Sources
- Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement: RGPH5 2022 thematic report: caractéristiques des habitations et cadre de vie (Tables 3.3, 3.14, 3.23, 4.17, 5.2, 6.2, 6.6), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e71c382c55b0…)
- Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali: Mali en chiffres 2024: Table 5, poverty indices by region (EMOP 2024), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 67b2d6f76b20…)
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