2023 Edition

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 area 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 former president, established a government, and ruled for 27 years. In October 2014, COMPAORE resigned following protests against his repeated efforts to amend the constitution's two-term presidential limit. An interim administration led a year-long transition period organizing presidential and legislative elections. In November 2015, Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president; he was reelected in November 2020. In 2022, military personnel conducted two coups. First, in January 2022, Paul Henri DAMIBA, a colonel in the army, overthrew KABORE and then in September 2022, army captain Ibrahim TRAORE deposed DAMIBA and became transition president. The transition government had planned to hold democratic elections by July 2024, but 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.  

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 of 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

44.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 22% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 37% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.93% (2018 est.)

forest

19.3% (2018 est.)

other

36.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Western Africa, north of Ghana

Major rivers (by length in km)

Volta river source (shared with Ghana [m]) - 1,600 kmnote – [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 of the population lives in cities. The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou (Ouaga), with a population of 1.8 million 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

Age structure

0-14 years

42.19% (male 4,813,760/female 4,674,649)

15-64 years

54.62% (male 5,899,774/female 6,383,134)

65 years and over

3.19% (2023 est.) (male 305,233/female 412,576)

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

32.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

17.5% (2021)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

35.3% (2020/21)

Current health expenditure

6.7% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

73.5% (2023)

Death rate

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Demographic profile

Burkina Faso has a young age structure – the result of declining mortality combined with steady high fertility – and continues to experience rapid population growth, which is putting increasing pressure on the country’s limited arable land. Almost 65% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2020, and the population is growing at 2.5% annually. Mortality rates, especially those of infants and children, have decreased because of improved health care, hygiene, and sanitation, but women continue to have an average of more than 4 children. Even if fertility were substantially reduced, today’s large cohort entering their reproductive years would sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future. Only about a third of the population is literate and unemployment is widespread, dampening the economic prospects of Burkina Faso’s large working-age population. Migration has traditionally been a way of life for Burkinabe, with seasonal migration being replaced by stints of up to two years abroad. Cote d’Ivoire remains the top destination, although it has experienced periods of internal conflict. Under French colonization, Burkina Faso became a main labor source for agricultural and factory work in Cote d’Ivoire. Burkinabe also migrated to Ghana, Mali, and Senegal for work between the world wars. Burkina Faso attracts migrants from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali, who often share common ethnic backgrounds with the Burkinabe. Despite its food shortages and high poverty rate, Burkina Faso has become a destination for refugees in recent years and hosts about 33,600 Malian refugees as of October 2022. (2018)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.8

potential support ratio

20.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

87.4

youth dependency ratio

82.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 71.3% of population

improved: total

total: 78.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 94.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 28.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 21.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 5.3% of population

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mossi 52%, Fulani (Peuhl) 8.4%, Gurma 7%, Bobo 4.9%, Gurunsi 4.6%, Senufo 4.5%, Bissa 3.7%, Lobi 2.4%, Dagara 2.4%, Tuareg/Bella 1.9%, Dyula 0.8%, unspecified/no answer 0.3%, other 7.2% (2010 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.04 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

43.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

52.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

48.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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

65.7 years

male

62 years

total population

63.8 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

37.8% (2021)

male

54.5%

total population

46%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Burkina Faso is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

264 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

19.3 years

male

17.7 years

total

18.5 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.1 years (2021 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Burkinabe

noun

Burkinabe (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.6% (2016)

Physicians density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

22,489,126 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Most of the population is located in the center and south. Nearly one-third of the population lives in cities. The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou (Ouaga), with a population of 1.8 million as shown in this population distribution map (2019)

Population growth rate

2.46% (2023 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: 37.7% of population

improved: total

total: 54% of population

improved: urban

urban: 90.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 62.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 46% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 9.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

9 years (2020)

male

9 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

6.4% (2020 est.)

male

22.1% (2020 est.)

total

14.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.14 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

32.5% of total population (2023)

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," meaning "where people get honor and respect"

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

amendments

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; amended several times

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 Honest (Incorruptible) Men"

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 Sandra E. CLARK (since 25 September 2020)

email address and website

ouagaACS@state.govhttps://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 (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Jean-Baptiste GAGRE (since 31 July 2023)

email address and website

contact@burkina-usa.orghttps://burkina-usa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 667-1882

telephone

[1] (202) 332-5577

Executive branch

cabinet

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); note - on 30 September 2022, a military junta led by TRAORE, took power and ousted President Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo DAMIBA and took over as head of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration

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%2015: Roch Marc Christian KABORE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE (MPP) 53.5%, Zephirin DIABRE (UPC) 29.6%, Tahirou BARRY (PAREN) 3.1%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA (UNIR-MS) 2.8%, other 10.9%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 22 November 2020 (next to be held by July 2024); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Joachim KYLEM DE TAMBELA (since 21 October 2022); note - transitional President TRAORE appointed KYLEM DE TAMBELA Prime Minister on 21 October 2022; the position had been vacant since 30 September 2022 when the military ousted former Prime Minister Albert OUEDRAOGO

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; red recalls the country's struggle for independence, green is for hope and abundance, and yellow represents the country's mineral wealth

note

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

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, ECOWAS, 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 upon the proposal of 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; in mid-2019, the National Assembly amended the penal code

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly (127 seats; 111 members directly elected in 13 multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote and 26 members elected in a nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - MPP 34.6%, CDP 13.3%, UPC 10.2%, NTD 5.6%, other 36.3%; seats by party - MPP 56, CDP 20, NTD 13, UPC 12, other 26; composition as of October 2021 - men 119, women 8, percent of women 6.3%

elections

last held on 22 November 2020 (next to be held by July 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Thomas SANKARA

name

"Le Ditanye" (Anthem of Victory)

note

note: adopted 1974; also known as "Une Seule Nuit" (One Single Night); written by the country's former president, an avid guitar player

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Ruins of Loropéni (c); Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy Sites (c); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Republic Day, 11 December (1958); note - commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community

National symbol(s)

white stallion; national colors: red, yellow, green

Political parties and leaders

Act Together [Kadre OUEDRAOGO]African Democratic Rally/Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF/RDA [Gilbert Noel OUEDRAOGO]Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Eddie KOMBOIGO]Convergence for Progress and Solidarity-Generation 3 or CPS-G3Movement for the Future Burkina Faso or MBFNational Convention for Progress or CNPNew Era for Democracy or NTD [Vincent DABILGOU]Pan-African Alliance for Refoundation or APRParty for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]Party for Development and Change or PDC [Aziz SEREME]Patriotic Rally for Integrity or RPIPeoples Movement for Progress or MPP [Roch Marc Christian KABORE]Progressives United for Renewal or PURUnion for Progress and Reform or UPC [Zephirin DIABRE]Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Party or UNIR-PS [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA]note: only parties with seats in the National Assembly included

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sorghum, maize, millet, cotton, cow peas, sugar cane, groundnuts, rice, sesame seed, vegetables

Budget

expenditures

$3.757 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$3.212 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-7.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B (2017)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

-$664.797 million (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$523.837 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$743.232 million (2020 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$2.88 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$3.056 billion (31 December 2017 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 2017

580.657 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

555.446 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

585.911 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$4.511 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$4.468 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$5.356 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

gold, cotton, zinc, cashews, sesame seeds (2021)

Exports - partners

Switzerland 59%, India 21% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

28.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

23.9% (2017 est.)

household consumption

56.5% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-34.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

31% (2017 est.)

industry

23.9% (2017 est.)

services

44.9% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.271 billion (2018 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

47.3 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32.2% (2009 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9%

Imports

Imports 2018

$5.167 billion (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$5.023 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$4.779 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, delivery trucks, packaged medicines, electricity, aircraft (2019)

Imports - partners

Cote d'Ivoire 15%, China 9%, Ghana 8%, France 8%, India 6%, United States 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

8.73% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

-3.23% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.88% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

3.65% (2021 est.)

Labor force

8.016 million (2021 est.)

note

note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment

Population below poverty line

41.4% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2018

45.57% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

46.64% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

72.53% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$44.209 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$45.063 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$48.175 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

5.69% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

1.93% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.91% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$2,100 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$2,100 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$2,200 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$50.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$49 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.28% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

4.69% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

4.89% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

4.76% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

8%

male

7.5%

total

7.7% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

4.444 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

4.444 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

2,033,520,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

600 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

392,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

248 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

4.7% (2014)

electrification - total population

18.9% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

67.6% (2021)

population without electricity

16 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

89.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

6.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

3.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

3.23 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

30,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

23,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

13,979 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

since the official inauguration of Terrestrial Digital Television (TNT) in December 2017, Burkina Faso now has 14 digital TV channels among which 2 are state-owned; there are more than 140 radio stations (commercial, religious, community) available throughout the country including a national and regional state-owned network; the state-owned Radio Burkina and the private Radio Omega are among the most widespread stations and both include broadcasts in French and local languages (2019)

Internet country code

.bf

Internet users

percent of population

22% (2021 est.)

total

4.84 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage nearly 112 per 100, with multiple providers there is competition and the hope for growth from a low base; Internet penetration is 16% (2021)

general assessment

Burkina Faso’s telecom sector in recent years has made some gains in providing the necessary infrastructure and bandwidth to support telecom services; an IXP completed in September 2020 increased international bandwidth capacity by a third, while in mid-2021 the government was able to start the second phase of a national fiber backbone project; this will link the capital city to an addition 145 municipalities, and provide additional connectivity to terrestrial cables in neighboring countries; the activities of the militants in side areas of the country jeopardize overall security, and render it difficult for the telcos to safeguard their networks and equipment; Burkina Faso joins G5 Sahel countries to eliminate roaming fees (2022)

international

country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2021 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

81,374 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

112 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

24,678,315 (2021 est.)

Airports

23 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

2

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

21

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XT

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

100,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

151,531 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

3

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Railways

narrow gauge

622 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

note

note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire

total

622 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

3,642 km (2014)

total

15,304 km (2014)

unpaved

11,662 km (2014)

Military - note

the FABF has a history of interference in the country’s politics, having conducted eight coups since its formation in 1960-61, including the most recent in September of 2022; several combat units were disbanded in 2011 following mutinies; while the FABF is responsible for external defense, it has an internal security role and can be called out to assist internal security forces in restoring public order, combating crime, securing the border, and counterterrorism; indeed, for more than a decade, its focus has largely been combatting terrorism, and it is actively engaged in combat operations to counter terrorist groups linked to al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), particularly in the northern and eastern regions; the FABF is struggling to contain the groups, however, and a large portion of the country—40% by some estimates—is not under government controlin the north, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups taht act as al-Qa'ida in the Land of the Islamic Magreb's (AQIM) arm in the Sahel, has exploited ethnic tensions and perceptions of state neglect, as well as grievances over corruption, patronage politics, social stratification, and land disputes; in 2022, JNIM conducted attacks in 10 of the country's 13 provinces; most of the attacks were assessed to be by the Macina Liberation Front (FLM) of the JNIM coalition; the ISIS-Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) terrorist group operates in the eastern part of the countrythe Army’s combat forces include a mix of about eight small (battalion-sized) infantry and combined arms regiments, plus battalions of artillery and special forces historically deployed in three military regions; in November 2022, the military government announced it was creating six rapid reaction battalions (bataillon de réaction rapide or BIR), expanding the number of military regions to six, and establishing six Gendarmerie “legions”; currently, the Gendarmerie has approximately eight mobile squadrons; in addition to its counterterrorism missions, the Gendarmerie’s Special Legion fights organized crime and provides security for high-level officials and government institutions; the Air Force’s primary mission is providing support to the Army; it has small numbers of combat aircraft, combat helicopters, and armed UAVs acquired from Turkey (2023)

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 (L’Armee de Terre, LAT), Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de 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 (2023)

note

note 1: the National Gendarmerie officially reports to the Ministry of Defense, but usually operates in support of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Security; Gendarmerie troops are typically integrated with Army forces in anti-terrorism operations; specialized counterterrorism units include the Army's special forces, the Special Legion of the National Gendarmerie, and the Multipurpose Intervention Unit of National Policenote 2: the VDP is a lightly-armed civilian defense/militia force established in 2019 to act as auxiliaries to the Army in the fight against militants; the volunteers receive two weeks of training and typically assist with carrying out surveillance, information-gathering, and escort duties, as well as local defense, and were to be based in each of the country's more than 300 municipalities; in 2022, the military government created a "Patriotic Watch and Defense Brigade" (La Brigade de Veille et de Défense Patriotique or BVDP) under the FABF to coordinate the VDP recruits

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 15,500 personnel (10,000 Army; 500 Air Force; 5,000 National Gendarmerie) (2023)

note

note: in 2022, the Burkina Faso Government announced a special recruitment for up to 6,000 additional soldiers and 1,500 gendarmes to assist with its fight against terrorist groups operating in the country; it also put out a recruitment call for up to 100,000 VDF volunteers, and as of 2023 had as many as 90,000 VDF personnel enrolled (the VDF's original recruited strength was 15,000)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FABF has a mix of mostly older or secondhand equipment from a mix of suppliers, including France, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

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 service age and obligation

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2023)

note

note: the military junta implemented an emergency law in 2023 that allows the president extensive powers to combat terrorist groups operating in the country, including conscripting citizens into the security services

Disputes - international

porous borders contribute to illicit cross-border activities, including terrorism and traffickingBurkina Faso-Benin: the two countries dispute sovereignty over a small area known as Kourou/Koalou near the tripoint with Togo, which has been declared a neutral zone pending settlement of the dispute; in 2009, an agreement to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice was signed, but no formal application has yet been made to the Court

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

2,062,534 (2023)

refugees (country of origin)

36,372 (Mali) (2023)

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)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

3.42 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

12.85 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

40.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

Environment - current issues

recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation (2019)

Environment - international 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

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to civil insecurity in the north and high food prices - according to the latest analysis, about 3.53 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity during the June to August 2023 lean season period; this would be a slight increase compared to the preceding year; acute food insecurity is primarily underpinned by poor insecurity in northern and eastern areas, and in particular by the use of siege tactics by non-state armed groups in the country’s Sahel region; as of March 2023, civil insecurity resulted in the displacement of about 2.06 million people; persistent high food prices are affecting vulnerable households across the country, particularly those in conflict-affected areas due to market disruptions as well as constrained access to sources of income and humanitarian assistance (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

44.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 22% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 37% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.93% (2018 est.)

forest

19.3% (2018 est.)

other

36.5% (2018 est.)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Volta river source (shared with Ghana [m]) - 1,600 kmnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

4.54% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

13.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

420 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

380 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

32.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,575,251 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

309,030 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

12% (2005 est.)