San Region is an administrative region in southern Mali. It was created from parts of the former Ségou Region and has its capital in the town of San. The region lies between the lowland area of the Bani River, the Ségou Region and the border with Burkina Faso.
Geography
San Region is located in south-central Mali, east of the city of Ségou and south of the Niger Bend. It covers an area of 14,200 km².[1] The area lies mainly in the Sudan–Sahelian transition zone. The landscape is characterised by savannas, agricultural plains and bodies of water. The area around San is hydrologically connected with the basin of the Bani River, an important tributary of the Niger River. Rainfall is concentrated in the rainy season and largely determines agricultural yields.
History
The area of present-day San Region long belonged to Ségou Region after Mali’s independence. The creation of a separate San Region had already been envisaged by the administrative reform of 2012, but was initially not fully implemented. Law No. 2023-006 of 13 March 2023 on the creation of new administrative regions in the Republic of Mali eventually confirmed the new territorial division and established San as one of the country’s regions. The former territory of San Cercle partly corresponds to the new region.[2]
Administrative divisions
The region is divided into seven cercles.[3] According to the OCHA, it comprises 17 arrondissements, 42 communes and 832 villages.[4]
| Cercle code | Cercle | Communes |
|---|---|---|
| 1701 | San | 9 |
| 1702 | Tominian | 5 |
| 1703 | Kimparana | 10 |
| 1704 | Yangasso | 8 |
| 1705 | Fangasso | 3 |
| 1706 | Mandiakuy | 4 |
| 1707 | Sy | 3 |
Population
In 2023, the region had a population of 809,615.[1]
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 461,982 |
| 2009 | 612,226 |
| 2023 | 809,615 |
Economy
As in most parts of Mali, the economy of San Region is shaped by agriculture, and the southern and central parts of the country are among Mali’s more important agricultural production areas. The main crops include millet, sorghum, maize, cotton and peanuts. The region also benefits from its location on important transport routes between Bamako, Ségou, Mopti and eastern Mali, as well as the neighbouring country of Burkina Faso.
Demographics
The San Region is the tenth most populated region in Mali, with a population of 820,807 in 2022.[6] With a total fertility rate at 7.1 births per woman, San has a higher TFR than the Malian national average of 6.1 births per woman.[7]
Ethnicity
San Region is ethnically diverse. In 2022, the Bambara, Bobo and Bwa, and Senufo represented the largest ethnic groups in San. Smaller minorities in the region include the Fula, Dafing, Dogon, Soninke, Mandinka, and Bozo.[5]
Religion
San is the most religiously diverse region in Mali, having the highest proportion of Christians, Animists, practitioners of other faiths, and people with no religion in the country.[5]
The 2022 census found that 70.10% of the population in San was Muslim, 16.99% was Christian, 8.33% was Animist, 3.65% had no religion, and 0.93% practiced other religions. In all other Malian regions, Muslims exceed 90% of the population.[5] Many Bobo and Bwa farmers in the region have converted to Christianity but maintain traditional beliefs and practices (syncretism). A significant share of Senufo and Dogon also practice traditional faiths, though most other ethnic groups in the region are predominantly Muslim.[8][5]
References
- ^ a b “Mali: Regions, Cities & Urban Localities – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information”. Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ “Loi n°2023-006 portant création des circonscriptions administratives en République du Mali” (in French). Ministère de l’Administration Territoriale et de la Décentralisation. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ “Mali – Subnational Administrative Boundaries” (XLSX; GeoJSON; Shape; GDB). The Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) – OCHA Global Subnational Administrative Boundaries. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Field Information Services Section (FISS), Geneva, Switzerland. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ “Carte de Référence – Région de San – Nouveau Découpage administratif du Mali” (Map) (in French). United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT) (December 2024). “RAPPORT D’ANALYSE DES DONNEES DU RGPH5 THÈME : CARACTERISTIQUES CULTURELLES DE LA POPULATION”. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ^ Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT) (December 2024). “CINQUIEME RECENSEMENT GENERAL DE LA POPULATION ET DE L’HABITAT (RGPH5)” (PDF). Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ^ Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT) (December 2024). “RAPPORT D’ANALYSE DES DONNEES DU RGPH5 THÈME : NATALITE ET FECONDITE (RGPH5)”. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ^ “Mali”. Minority Rights Group. October 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
