The interior ministry said 13 of the victims at the Villaggio centre were children. Four were Spanish nationals, diplomats say.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
The Villaggio mall, which opened in 2006, is one of the most popular shopping and recreational complexes in the small Gulf state.
Its facilities include a cinema, a hotel and a Venice-styled theme park.
The blaze started at about 11:30 local time (08:00 GMT) on Monday, Qatari Interior Minister Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
It is believed to have started at the centre's Gympanzee nursery, and firefighters reportedly had to break through the roof to get to trapped children when a staircase collapsed.
But the firefighters were too late to save seven young girls and six boys who died with four of their teachers, reports say.
Four of the children who died were Spanish, foreign ministry officials in Madrid said, without giving further details.
Two civil defence officials - believed to be firefighters - were also among the victims, the interior ministry said.
Eyewitnesses spoke of thick black smoke billowing from the centre.
Police were sent to the scene to evacuate the complex, while medics were treating the injured.
"There don't seem to have been any fire alarms or sprinklers at the mall," a relative of one of the victims told Reuters.
The fire was later extinguished, Mr Thani said.
Source: BBC News
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