Poverty and living standards in Tombouctou, Mali: official figures
INSTAT's 2024 household survey (EMOP) puts the share of people below the national poverty line in Tombouctou at 25.3%, 2nd lowest 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 Tombouctou figure may cover a wider area than the region as drawn today.
What is housing like in Tombouctou?
24.4% of households in Tombouctou lived in housing that INSTAT classes as precarious in 2022, 4th highest of Mali's 20 regions (counting Bamako) (Mali: 10.0%); 1.1% lived in a modern house.
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement · saved copyHow many households in Tombouctou have a phone or a TV?
56.5% of households in Tombouctou owned a mobile phone in 2022 and 33.2% a television, 8th 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 Tombouctou have a car or motorbike?
30.4% of households in Tombouctou owned a motorbike or motor tricycle in 2022 and 5.1% 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 Tombouctou have a flush toilet?
8.7% of households in Tombouctou had a flush toilet in 2022, private or shared, 8th 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 Tombouctou cook with?
38.7% of households in Tombouctou cooked mainly with firewood in 2022 and 41.7% with charcoal (Mali: 49.4% and 38.7%); 0.6% used gas.
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), Mali and Bureau Central du Recensement · saved copyHow Tombouctou compares with other regions
Households in precarious dwellings (2022)
Tombouctou ranks 4 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)
Tombouctou ranks 13 of 20, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Households owning a television |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Kayes | 45.0% |
| 11 | Dioïla | 43.4% |
| 12 | San | 36.1% |
| 13 | Tombouctou | 33.2% |
| 14 | Douentza | 28.5% |
| 15 | Nioro | 27.3% |
| 16 | Bandiagara | 24.8% |
More on Tombouctou: 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…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.