{{Infobox administrative division | name = Koutiala | native_name = | settlement_type = Region | image_map = Koutiala in Mali 2023.svg | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Mali | seat_type = Capital | seat = Koutiala | area_total_km2 = 14600 | population_total = 1153961 | population_as_of = 2023 | population_density_km2 = auto | iso_code = | coordinates = {{coord|12.389482|-5.463920|type:adm1st_region:ML|display=inline,title}} }}
'''Koutiala Region''' is an administrative region in southern Mali. It was created from the division of the former Sikasso Region and has its capital in the city of Koutiala. The region belongs to the agriculturally important south of the country and is considered one of Mali’s most important cotton-growing areas.
== Geography == Koutiala Region is located in the south-eastern interior of Mali and borders Burkina Faso to the east and south-east. It covers an area of 14,600 km², corresponding to about 1.17% of the national territory.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Mali: Regions, Major Cities & Localities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/mali/cities/ |access-date=2026-05-09 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref> The region borders several Malian regions, including Sikasso, San, Ségou and Bougouni. The landscape is dominated by savannas, farmland, smaller watercourses and seasonal bodies of water. The region lies within the drainage basin of the Niger River. The area around Koutiala is wetter and more intensively used for agriculture than many of Mali’s more northerly regions.
== History == The area of present-day Koutiala Region long belonged to Sikasso Region after Mali’s independence. The creation of a separate Koutiala Region had already been envisaged by the administrative reform of 2012. Law No. 2023-006 of 13 March 2023 on the creation of administrative districts in the Republic of Mali confirmed the new territorial division and established Koutiala as a separate region.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://matd.gouv.ml/creation-circonscriptions-administrative-en-republique-mali |title=Loi n°2023-006 portant création des circonscriptions administratives en République du Mali |publisher=Ministère de l'Administration Territoriale et de la Décentralisation |language=fr |access-date=8 May 2026}}</ref> The new region was formed mainly from the former cercles of Koutiala and Yorosso.
== Administrative divisions == The region is divided into eight ''cercles''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-mli |title=Mali - Subnational Administrative Boundaries |website=The Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) - OCHA Global Subnational Administrative Boundaries |publisher=UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Field Information Services Section (FISS), Geneva, Switzerland |date=2 April 2026 |format=XLSX; GeoJSON; Shape; GDB |language=en |access-date=8 May 2026}}</ref> According to OCHA, it comprises 22 arrondissements, 46 communes and 386 villages.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unocha.org/publications/map/mali/carte-de-reference-region-de-koutiala-nouveau-decoupage-administratif-du-mali-aout-2025 |title=Carte de Référence - Région de Koutiala - Nouveau Découpage administratif du Mali |publisher=United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |date=14 January 2026 |format=Map |language=fr |access-date=8 May 2026}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" ! Cercle code ! Cercle ! Communes |- |1601 |Koutiala |12 |- |1602 |Yorosso |7 |- |1603 |M'Péssoba |8 |- |1604 |Molobala |5 |- |1605 |Koury |2 |- |1606 |Konséguéla |3 |- |1607 |Kouniana |6 |- |1608 |Zangasso |3 |}
== Demographics == In 2023, the region had a population of 1,153,961.<ref name=":0" /> The population is ethnically and linguistically diverse. The main population groups include the Minianka, Bambara, Peul/Fulbe, Bobo, Soninke and Senufo. The settlement pattern is predominantly rural, while Koutiala, as the largest town, serves as the region’s administrative, market, transport and industrial centre.
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Population |- |1998 |538,606 |- |2009 |812,112 |- |2023 |1,153,961 |}
== Economy == The economy of Koutiala Region is strongly agricultural. Koutiala is regarded as the country’s “heartland of cotton production”.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eld-initiative.org/fileadmin/Regreening_Africa_publications/ELD-Mali-Report-web-EN.pdf |title=The Economics of Cotton Production in Mali and the Challenges of Land Degradation |publisher=Economics of Land Degradation Initiative |format=PDF |language=en |access-date=8 May 2026}}</ref> In addition to cotton, the main crops include sorghum, millet, maize, peanuts and other field crops.
The city of Koutiala is an important agro-industrial centre. It is home to cotton ginning and agricultural-processing enterprises. Regional trade benefits from its location on important transport routes between Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti and Burkina Faso. In addition to agriculture and processing, livestock farming, transport services, crafts and markets for grain, livestock and cotton products play an important role.
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Regions of Mali}} Category:Regions of Mali