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Burkina Faso

2020 Edition · 289 data fields

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Introduction

Background

Many of Burkina Faso’s ethnic groups arrived in the region between the 12th and 15th centuries. The Gurma and Mossi peoples established several of the largest kingdoms in the area and used horse-mounted warriors in military campaigns. Of the various Mossi kingdoms, the most powerful were Ouagadougou and Yatenga. In the late 19th century, European states competed for control of the region. France eventually conquered the area and established it as a French protectorate. The country achieved independence from France in 1960 and changed its name to Burkina Faso in 1984. Repeated military coups were common in the country’s first few decades. In 1987 Blaise COMPAORE deposed the president, established a government, and ruled for 27 years. In 2014, COMPAORE resigned after protests against his repeated efforts to amend the constitution's two-term presidential limit. An interim administration led a year-long transition, organizing presidential and legislative elections. In 2015, Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president, and he was reelected in 2020. In 2022, the military conducted two takeovers: In January, army colonel Paul Henri DAMIBA overthrew KABORE in a coup d'etat, and then in September, army captain Ibrahim TRAORE deposed DAMIBA and declared himself transition president. The transition government planned to hold elections by July 2024, but they may be delayed due to security concerns. Terrorist groups -- including groups affiliated with Al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State -- began attacks in the country in 2016 and conducted attacks in the capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018. By early 2023, insecurity in Burkina Faso had displaced more than 2 million people and led to significant jumps in humanitarian needs and food insecurity. In addition to terrorism, the country faces a myriad of problems including high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources. It is one of the world’s poorest countries.

Geography

Area

land
273,800 sq km
total
274,200 sq km
water
400 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Colorado

Climate

three climate zones including a hot tropical savanna with a short rainy season in the southern half, a tropical hot semi-arid steppe climate typical of the Sahel region in the northern half, and small area of hot desert in the very north of the country bordering the Sahara Desert

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point
Tena Kourou 749 m
lowest point
Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
mean elevation
297 m

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note

landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers, the Black, Red, and White Voltas

Irrigated land

550 sq km (2016)

Land boundaries

border countries
Benin 386 km; Cote d'Ivoire 545 km; Ghana 602 km; Mali 1325 km; Niger 622 km; Togo 131 km
total
3,611 km

Land use

agricultural land
53.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 28.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 21.9% (2023 est.)
forest
12.7% (2023 est.)
other
33.9% (2023 est.)

Location

Western Africa, north of Ghana

Major rivers (by length in km)

Volta river source (shared with Ghana [m]) - 1,600 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage
Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts

Natural resources

gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt

Population distribution

most of the population is located in the center and south; nearly one third lives in cities, including the capital city of Ouagadougou (Ouaga), as shown in this population distribution map (2019)

Terrain

mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in the west and southeast; occupies an extensive plateau with savanna that is grassy in the north and gradually gives way to sparse forests in the south

People and Society

Age structure

0-14 years
41.6% (male 4,868,488/female 4,727,316)
15-64 years
55.1% (male 6,116,674/female 6,590,775)
65 years and over
3.2% (2024 est.) (male 312,587/female 426,359)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer
1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
5.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
7.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

31.74 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18
1.6% (2015)
women married by age 15
8.9% (2015)
women married by age 18
51.3% (2015)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.9% (2021 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

74.3% (2021 est.)

Death rate

7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio
5.8 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
17.3 (2025 est.)
total dependency ratio
79 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
73.2 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural
rural: 34.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 49.5% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 80.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 65.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 50.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 19.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)
5.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
20.3% national budget (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mossi 53.7%, Fulani (Peuhl) 6.8%, Gurunsi 5.9%, Bissa 5.4%, Gurma 5.2%, Bobo 3.4%, Senufo 2.2%, Bissa 1.5%, Lobi 1.5%, Tuareg/Bella 0.1%, other 12.8%, foreign 0.7% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.98 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
6.4% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
8.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.2 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female
42.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male
51.1 deaths/1,000 live births
total
48 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Mossi 52.9%, Fula 7.8%, Gourmantche 6.8%, Dyula 5.7%, Bissa 3.3%, Gurunsi 3.2%, French (official) 2.2%, Bwamu 2%, Dagara 2%, San 1.7%, Marka 1.6%, Bobo 1.5%, Senufo 1.5%, Lobi 1.2%, other 6.6% (2019 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female
66.1 years
male
62.3 years
total population
64.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female
35.7% (2023 est.)
male
48.4% (2023 est.)
total population
41.4% (2023 est.)

Major urban areas - population

3.204 million OUAGADOUGOU (capital), 1.129 million Bobo-Dioulasso (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

242 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female
19.5 years
male
17.9 years
total
19 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.1 years (2021 est.)

Nationality

adjective
Burkinabe
noun
Burkinabe (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.6% (2016)

Physician density

0.15 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female
11,960,321
male
11,529,979
total
23,490,300 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.39% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 63.8%, Roman Catholic 20.1%, Animiste 9%, Protestant 6.2%, other 0.2%, none 0.7% (2019 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural
rural: 42.6% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 58.1% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 91.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 57.4% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 41.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 8.8% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female
7 years (2023 est.)
male
7 years (2023 est.)
total
7 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.73 male(s)/female
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
total population
0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female
4.6% (2025 est.)
male
20.4% (2025 est.)
total
12.4% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.02 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization
4.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population
32.5% of total population (2023)

Government

Administrative divisions

13 regions; Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central, Sahel, Sud-Ouest

Capital

etymology
Ouagadougou is a Francophone spelling of the native name "Wogodogo," which may come from the personal name "Waga" or "Woga" and the Dyula word "dugu," meaning "village"
geographic coordinates
12 22 N, 1 31 W
name
Ouagadougou
time difference
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Burkina Faso
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
10 years

Constitution

amendment process
proposed by the president, by a majority of National Assembly membership, or by petition of at least 30,000 eligible voters submitted to the Assembly; passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote in the Assembly; failure to meet that threshold requires majority voter approval in a referendum; constitutional provisions on the form of government, the multiparty system, and national sovereignty cannot be amended
history
several previous; latest approved by referendum 2 June 1991, adopted 11 June 1991, temporarily suspended late October to mid-November 2014; initial draft of a new constitution to usher in the new republic was completed in January 2017 and a final draft was submitted to the government in December 2017; a constitutional referendum originally scheduled for adoption in March 2019 was postponed; on 1 March 2022 a transition charter was adopted, allowing military authorities to rule for three years and barring the transitional president from being an electoral candidate after the transition

Country name

conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Burkina Faso
etymology
name translates as "Land of the Worthy Men," from the Dyula words burkina, or "worthy," and faso, which means "land" or literally "father village," from fa, or "father," and so, or "village"
former
Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta
local long form
none
local short form
Burkina Faso

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission
Ambassador Joann M. LOCKARD (since 28 June 2024)
email address and website
AmembOuaga@state.gov https://bf.usembassy.gov/
embassy
Secteur 15, Ouaga 2000, Avenue Sembene Ousmane, Rue 15.873, Ouagadougou
FAX
(226) 25-49-56-23
mailing address
2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440
telephone
(226) 25-49-53-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery
2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
chief of mission
Ambassador Kassoum COULIBALY (since 24 July 2025)
email address and website
contact@burkina-usa.org https://burkina-usa.org/
FAX
[1] (202) 667-1882
telephone
[1] (202) 332-5577

Executive branch

cabinet
prior to the 2022 coups and ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state
Transitional President Capt. Ibrahim TRAORE (since 30 September 2022)
election results
2020: Roch Marc Christian KABORE reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE (MPP) 57.9%, Eddie KOMBOIGO (CDP) 15.5%, Zephirin DIABRE (UPC) 12.5%, other 14.1%
election/appointment process
prior to the 2022 coups and ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly
expected date of next election
were to be held by July 2024, but were delayed
head of government
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel OUEDRAOGO (since 9 December 2024)
most recent election date
22 November 2020

Flag

description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green, with a five-pointed yellow star in the center meaning: red stands for the country's struggle for independence, green for hope and abundance, and yellow for the country's mineral wealth history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

5 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)
Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Council of State (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 9 members)
judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judge appointments mostly controlled by the president of Burkina Faso; judges have no term limits; Council of State judge appointment and tenure NA; Constitutional Council judges appointed by the president of Burkina Faso after a proposal from the minister of justice and the president of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years
subordinate courts
Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts

Legal system

civil law based on the French model and customary law

Legislative branch

chamber name
Transitional Legislative Assembly (Assemblée législative de la transition)
electoral system
proportional representation
expected date of next election
June 2029
legislative structure
unicameral
legislature name
Parliament (Parlement)
most recent election date
11/11/2022
number of seats
71
percentage of women in chamber
18.3%

National anthem(s)

history
adopted 1974; also known as "Une Seule Nuit"(One Single Night) ; written by the country's former president, an avid guitar player
lyrics/music
Thomas SANKARA
title
"Le Ditanye" (Anthem of Victory)

National color(s)

red, yellow, green

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales
Ruins of Loropéni (c); Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy Sites of Burkina Faso (c); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n); Royal Court of Tiébélé (c)
total World Heritage Sites
4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Republic Day, 11 December (1958)

National symbol(s)

white stallion

Political parties

Act Together African Democratic Rally/Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF/RDA Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP Convergence for Progress and Solidarity-Generation 3 or CPS-G3 Movement for the Future Burkina Faso or MBF National Convention for Progress or CNP New Era for Democracy or NTD Pan-African Alliance for Refoundation or APR Party for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba Party for Development and Change or PDC Patriotic Rally for Integrity or RPI Peoples Movement for Progress or MPP Progressives United for Renewal or PUR Union for Progress and Reform or UPC Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Party or UNIR-PS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Economy

Agricultural products

maize, sorghum, fruits, vegetables, millet, cowpeas, cotton, groundnuts, sugarcane, rice (2023)

Budget

expenditures
$6.308 billion (2023 est.)
revenues
$5.174 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021
$77.255 million (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022
-$1.404 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023
-$1.017 billion (2023 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023
$3.565 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

highly agrarian, low-income economy; limited natural resources; widespread poverty; terrorism disrupting potential economic activity; improving trade balance via increases in gold exports; economy inflating after prior deflation; growing public debt but still manageable

Exchange rates

Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020
575.586 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021
554.531 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022
623.76 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023
606.57 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024
606.345 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021
$6.234 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022
$5.814 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023
$5.912 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, cotton, oil seeds, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews, cement (2023)

Exports - partners

Switzerland 72%, UAE 10%, India 3%, Mali 3%, Cote d'Ivoire 2% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services
28.5% (2024 est.)
government consumption
18.8% (2024 est.)
household consumption
60.6% (2024 est.)
imports of goods and services
-34.9% (2024 est.)
investment in fixed capital
16.5% (2024 est.)
investment in inventories
10.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture
18.6% (2024 est.)
industry
29.7% (2024 est.)
services
40.2% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$23.25 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021
37.4 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%
30.2% (2021 est.)
lowest 10%
3% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021
$5.835 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022
$6.761 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023
$6.834 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, plastic products, cement, electricity, packaged medicine (2023)

Imports - partners

Cote d'Ivoire 14%, China 13%, Ghana 9%, Russia 9%, France 7% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-5.4% (2024 est.)

Industries

cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
14.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
0.7% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
4.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

6.461 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

43.2% (2021 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023
61.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$55.508 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$57.152 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$60.001 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022
1.5% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023
3% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024
5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022
$2,500 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023
$2,500 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024
$2,500 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021
2.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022
2.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023
2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

18.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022
5.4% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023
5.4% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024
5.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female
8.5% (2024 est.)
male
7.8% (2024 est.)
total
8.1% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

exports
1 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports
74 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption
3.096 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports
1.577 billion kWh (2023 est.)
installed generating capacity
749,000 kW (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses
212.254 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas
3.4%
electrification - total population
19.5% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas
60.5%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste
5.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
fossil fuels
82.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity
6.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar
5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023
3.481 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption
37,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
(2022 est.) less than 1
total
15,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

14 digital TV channels, of which 2 are state-owned; over 140 national radio stations (commercial, religious, community), including a national and regional state-owned network; state-owned Radio Burkina and private Radio Omega are among the most widely available and broadcast in both French and local languages (2019)

Internet country code

.bf

Internet users

percent of population
17% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
(2022 est.) less than 1
total subscriptions
72,700 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
119 (2022 est.)
total subscriptions
26.9 million (2022 est.)

Transportation

Airports

49 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XT

Railways

narrow gauge
622 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
total
622 km (2014)

Military and Security

Military - note

the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF) are responsible for external defense but also have an internal security role and can be called out to assist internal security forces in restoring public order, combating crime, securing the border, and conducting counterterrorism/counterinsurgency/internal defense operations; the FABF has a history of involvement in the country’s politics, having conducted eight coups since its formation in 1960-61, including the most recent in September 2022 the FABF's primary focus is combatting militants of the al-Qa'ida and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist groups, which have operated in Burkina Faso for more than a decade and control portions of the country; Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups that act as al-Qa'ida in the Land of the Islamic Magreb's (AQIM) arm in the Sahel, is strongest in the north but active in nearly all of the country's 13 provinces, while ISIS in the Greater Sahara (aka ISIS-Sahel) operates in the eastern part of the country (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF; aka National Armed Forces (FAN), aka Defense and Security Forces (Forces de Défense et de Sécurité or FDS)): Army of Burkina Faso, Air Force of Burkina Faso, National Gendarmerie, National Fire Brigade (Brigade Nationale de Sapeurs-Pompiers or BNSP); Homeland Defense Volunteers (Forcés de Volontaires de Défense pour la Patrie or VDP) Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security (Ministère de l'Administration Territoriale, de la Décentralisation et de la Sécurité): National Police of Burkina Faso (includes Border Police, Judicial Police, and Intervention Units, as well as State and Public Security forces) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 20,000 Armed Forces; estimated 50,000 Homeland Defense Volunteers (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FABF has a mix of older and some modern armaments from a variety of suppliers, including China, Egypt, France, Russia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, and the UAE (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020
2.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021
2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022
2.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023
4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024
4.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

generally, 18-35 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; citizens 18-77 years of age are eligible to volunteer for the VDP (2025)

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs
2,065,358 (2024 est.)
refugees
41,408 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Burkina Faso remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/burkina-faso/

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

Ansarul Islam; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS); al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun); Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke
7 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
5.243 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
total emissions
5.243 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

droughts; desertification; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation (2019)

International environmental agreements

party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
Nuclear Test Ban

Particulate matter emissions

38.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

13.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural
420.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
21.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
municipal
375.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually
2.575 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
23% (2022 est.)

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