side help country in order to understand the region's challenges mali is one of the world's ten corus nations just under half its population lives below the extreme poverty line agriculture is the chief means of employment a cotton is one of mali's most important exports gold is another income for mining has risen steadily in recent years last year the economy expanded by five point one percent of mali faces serious economic problems among them urbanization and a growing population. there are currently around eighteen point five million people in mali the median age is just sixteen point two years analysts say the government has to focus urgently on jobs for young people and on improving the security situation particularly in the north that could encourage private investors including foreigners a current business outlook is quite grim molly ranks one hundred forty six out of one hundred ninety countries for ease of doing business that according to the world bank's doing business report for twenty nineteen now to talk more about this we're joined by joined or even be into she's joining us from