Burkina Faso
Updated
Population
24.07 million
2025 · World Bank
GDP
$27.63B
2025 · World Bank
GDP per capita
$1,148
2025 · World Bank
Area
272,967 km²
mledoze/countries reference dataset
Capital
Ouagadougou
Median age
17.7 yrs
2025 · UN WPP
Location
- Capital
- Ouagadougou
- Region
- Africa
- Subregion
- Western Africa
- Area
- 272,967 km²
- Neighbours
- 6
- Languages
- French
Leadership
- Head of state
- Ibrahim Traoré
- In office since October 6, 2022
- Head of government
- Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla
- In office since January 23, 2022
Wikidata (CC0), checked August 11, 2026. Frozen Factbook mirrors still list the officeholders of January 2026.
Then and now
The CIA World Factbook stopped updating in January 2026. This is what has changed since its final edition.
| Indicator | Factbook, final edition | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,490,3002025 | 24,074,5802025 | +2.5% |
| GDP (nominal) | $23.25B2024 | $27.63B2025 | +18.8% |
| Inflation rate | 4.2%2024 | -0.6%2025 | -4.8 pp |
Trends since 2000
11.93 million (2000) 24.07 million (2025)
$2.97B (2000) $27.63B (2025)
$249 (2000) $1,148 (2025)
-0.3% (2000) -0.6% (2025)
World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0).
6 facts about Burkina Faso
- 01 Burkina Faso ranks 59 of 238 in population, with 24.07 million people as of 2025.
- 02 Its economy produced $27.63B in 2025, or $1,148 per person.
- 03 It shares land borders with 6 neighbours: Benin, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo.
- 04 Population has grown 102% since 2000, from 11.93 million to 24.07 million.
- 05 Prices sit at about 37% of United States levels (World Bank PPP data, 2025).
- 06 28% of the population uses the internet (2024).
Reference
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF)
- Calling code
- +226
- Internet TLD
- .bf
- Demonym
- Burkinabe
- ISO codes
- BF · BFA · 854
Compare Burkina Faso
The Factbook archive 143 fields · 12 categories
The complete World Factbook entry for Burkina Faso: 143 fields and 228 sub-entries across 12 categories, kept whole as historical reference. A United States Government work in the public domain, reflecting data as of the final January 2026 edition; the live figures above supersede the fast-moving numbers in it. Last CIA update: January 20, 2026.
Introduction 1 field
- 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 19 fields
- Location
- Western Africa, north of Ghana
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 00 N, 2 00 W
- Map references
- Africa
- Area
- total: 274,200 sq kmland: 273,800 sq kmwater: 400 sq km
- Area - comparative
- slightly larger than Colorado
- Land boundaries
- total: 3,611 kmborder countries: Benin 386 km; Cote d'Ivoire 545 km; Ghana 602 km; Mali 1325 km; Niger 622 km; Togo 131 km
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- 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
- 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
- Elevation
- highest point: Tena Kourou 749 mlowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 mmean elevation: 297 m
- Natural resources
- gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt
- 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.)
- Irrigated land
- 550 sq km (2016)
- 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)
- 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)
- Natural hazards
- recurring droughts
- Geography - note
- landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers, the Black, Red, and White Voltas
People and Society 36 fields
- Population
- total: 23,490,300 (2025 est.)male: 11,529,979female: 11,960,321
- Nationality
- noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)adjective: Burkinabe
- 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.)
- 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.)
- Religions
- Muslim 63.8%, Roman Catholic 20.1%, Animiste 9%, Protestant 6.2%, other 0.2%, none 0.7% (2019 est.)
- 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)
- Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 79 (2025 est.)youth dependency ratio: 73.2 (2025 est.)elderly dependency ratio: 5.8 (2025 est.)potential support ratio: 17.3 (2025 est.)
- Median age
- total: 19 years (2025 est.)male: 17.9 yearsfemale: 19.5 years
- Population growth rate
- 2.39% (2025 est.)
- Birth rate
- 31.74 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- 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)
- Urbanization
- urban population: 32.5% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization: 4.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- Major urban areas - population
- 3.204 million OUAGADOUGOU (capital), 1.129 million Bobo-Dioulasso (2023)
- Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 20.1 years (2021 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49 - Maternal mortality ratio
- 242 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- Infant mortality rate
- total: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)male: 51.1 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 42.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 64.2 years (2024 est.)male: 62.3 yearsfemale: 66.1 years
- Total fertility rate
- 4.02 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.98 (2025 est.)
- Drinking water source
- improved: urban: urban: 80.9% of population (2022 est.)improved: rural: rural: 34.8% of population (2022 est.)improved: total: total: 49.5% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: urban: urban: 19.1% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: rural: rural: 65.2% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: total: total: 50.5% of population (2022 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.)
- Physician density
- 0.15 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.2 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Sanitation facility access
- improved: urban: urban: 91.2% of population (2022 est.)improved: rural: rural: 42.6% of population (2022 est.)improved: total: total: 58.1% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: urban: urban: 8.8% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: rural: rural: 57.4% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: total: total: 41.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
- 5.6% (2016)
- Alcohol consumption per capita
- total: 7.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)beer: 1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)wine: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)spirits: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)other alcohols: 5.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Tobacco use
- total: 12.4% (2025 est.)male: 20.4% (2025 est.)female: 4.6% (2025 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 16.9% (2021 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15-49)
- 74.3% (2021 est.)
- Child marriage
- women married by age 15: 8.9% (2015)women married by age 18: 51.3% (2015)men married by age 18: 1.6% (2015)
- Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.3% of GDP (2023 est.)Education expenditure (% national budget): 20.3% national budget (2023 est.)
- Literacy
- total population: 41.4% (2023 est.)male: 48.4% (2023 est.)female: 35.7% (2023 est.)
- School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- total: 7 years (2023 est.)male: 7 years (2023 est.)female: 7 years (2023 est.)
Environment 10 fields
- 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, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
- 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
- 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.)
- Urbanization
- urban population: 32.5% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization: 4.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- Carbon dioxide emissions
- total emissions: 5.243 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)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.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 38.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.575 million tons (2024 est.)percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 23% (2022 est.)
- Total water withdrawal
- municipal: 375.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)industrial: 21.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)agricultural: 420.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 13.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Government 23 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Burkina Fasolocal long form: nonelocal short form: Burkina Fasoformer: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Voltaetymology: 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"
- Government type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- name: Ouagadougougeographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 Wtime difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)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"
- 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
- Legal system
- civil law based on the French model and customary law
- Constitution
- 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 transitionamendment 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: nocitizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Burkina Fasodual citizenship recognized: yesresidency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: Transitional President Capt. Ibrahim TRAORE (since 30 September 2022)head of government: Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel OUEDRAOGO (since 9 December 2024)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 ministerelection/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 Assemblymost recent election date: 22 November 2020election 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%expected date of next election: were to be held by July 2024, but were delayed - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Parliament (Parlement)legislative structure: unicameralchamber name: Transitional Legislative Assembly (Assemblée législative de la transition)number of seats: 71electoral system: proportional representationmost recent election date: 11/11/2022percentage of women in chamber: 18.3%expected date of next election: June 2029
- 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 yearssubordinate courts: Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts
- 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 - Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Kassoum COULIBALY (since 24 July 2025)chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882email address and website:
[email protected]
https://burkina-usa.org/ - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Joann M. LOCKARD (since 28 June 2024)embassy: Secteur 15, Ouaga 2000, Avenue Sembene Ousmane, Rue 15.873, Ouagadougoumailing address: 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440telephone: (226) 25-49-53-00FAX: (226) 25-49-56-23email address and website:
[email protected]
https://bf.usembassy.gov/ - 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
- Independence
- 5 August 1960 (from France)
- National holiday
- Republic Day, 11 December (1958)
note: commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community - 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 - National symbol(s)
- white stallion
- National color(s)
- red, yellow, green
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Le Ditanye" (Anthem of Victory)lyrics/music: Thomas SANKARAhistory: adopted 1974; also known as "Une Seule Nuit"(One Single Night) ; written by the country's former president, an avid guitar player
- National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)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)
Economy 30 fields
- 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
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $60.001 billion (2024 est.)Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $57.152 billion (2023 est.)Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $55.508 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate
- Real GDP growth rate 2024: 5% (2024 est.)Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3% (2023 est.)Real GDP growth rate 2022: 1.5% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita
- Real GDP per capita 2024: $2,500 (2024 est.)Real GDP per capita 2023: $2,500 (2023 est.)Real GDP per capita 2022: $2,500 (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $23.25 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate - Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 4.2% (2024 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 0.7% (2023 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 14.3% (2022 est.)
- GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture: 18.6% (2024 est.)industry: 29.7% (2024 est.)services: 40.2% (2024 est.)
- GDP - composition, by end use
- household consumption: 60.6% (2024 est.)government consumption: 18.8% (2024 est.)investment in fixed capital: 16.5% (2024 est.)investment in inventories: 10.6% (2024 est.)exports of goods and services: 28.5% (2024 est.)imports of goods and services: -34.9% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- maize, sorghum, fruits, vegetables, millet, cowpeas, cotton, groundnuts, sugarcane, rice (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage - Industries
- cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
- Industrial production growth rate
- -5.4% (2024 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency - Labor force
- 6.461 million (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work - Unemployment rate
- Unemployment rate 2024: 5.2% (2024 est.)Unemployment rate 2023: 5.4% (2023 est.)Unemployment rate 2022: 5.4% (2022 est.)
- Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- total: 8.1% (2024 est.)male: 7.8% (2024 est.)female: 8.5% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 43.2% (2021 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line - 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
- lowest 10%: 3% (2021 est.)highest 10%: 30.2% (2021 est.)
- Remittances
- Remittances 2023: 2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)Remittances 2022: 2.8% of GDP (2022 est.)Remittances 2021: 2.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Budget
- revenues: $5.174 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $6.308 billion (2023 est.)
- Public debt
- Public debt 2023: 61.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 18.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP - Current account balance
- Current account balance 2023: -$1.017 billion (2023 est.)Current account balance 2022: -$1.404 billion (2022 est.)Current account balance 2021: $77.255 million (2021 est.)
- Exports
- Exports 2023: $5.912 billion (2023 est.)Exports 2022: $5.814 billion (2022 est.)Exports 2021: $6.234 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports - partners
- Switzerland 72%, UAE 10%, India 3%, Mali 3%, Cote d'Ivoire 2% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports - Exports - commodities
- gold, cotton, oil seeds, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews, cement (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars - Imports
- Imports 2023: $6.834 billion (2023 est.)Imports 2022: $6.761 billion (2022 est.)Imports 2021: $5.835 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports - partners
- Cote d'Ivoire 14%, China 13%, Ghana 9%, Russia 9%, France 7% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports - Imports - commodities
- refined petroleum, plastic products, cement, electricity, packaged medicine (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars - Debt - external
- Debt - external 2023: $3.565 billion (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates
- Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -Exchange rates 2024: 606.345 (2024 est.)Exchange rates 2023: 606.57 (2023 est.)Exchange rates 2022: 623.76 (2022 est.)Exchange rates 2021: 554.531 (2021 est.)Exchange rates 2020: 575.586 (2020 est.)
Energy 6 fields
- Electricity access
- electrification - total population: 19.5% (2022 est.)electrification - urban areas: 60.5%electrification - rural areas: 3.4%
- Electricity
- installed generating capacity: 749,000 kW (2023 est.)consumption: 3.096 billion kWh (2023 est.)imports: 1.577 billion kWh (2023 est.)transmission/distribution losses: 212.254 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Electricity generation sources
- fossil fuels: 82.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)solar: 5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)hydroelectricity: 6.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)biomass and waste: 5.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Coal
- exports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)imports: 74 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Petroleum
- refined petroleum consumption: 37,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Energy consumption per capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 3.481 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Communications 6 fields
- Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions: 72,700 (2022 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
- Telephones - mobile cellular
- total subscriptions: 26.9 million (2022 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (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.)
- Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- total: 15,000 (2022 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Transportation 3 fields
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- XT
- Airports
- 49 (2025)
- Railways
- total: 622 km (2014)narrow gauge: 622 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
Military and Security 6 fields
- 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)
note 1: the National Gendarmerie is under the Ministry of Defense, but usually operates in support of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Security; the Gendarmerie's primary mission is counterterrorism
note 2: the VDP is a lightly armed civilian defense/militia force established in 2019 to act as auxiliaries to the Army; the volunteers receive two weeks of training and typically assist with carrying out surveillance, information-gathering, and escort duties, as well as local defense; they are based in each of the country's municipalities - Military expenditures
- Military Expenditures 2024: 4.5% of GDP (2024 est.)Military Expenditures 2023: 4% of GDP (2023 est.)Military Expenditures 2022: 2.9% of GDP (2022 est.)Military Expenditures 2021: 2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)Military Expenditures 2020: 2.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
- 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 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)
note: the military regime 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; the VDP reportedly has been used by the military regime as a platform for the forced recruitment of dissidents and activists to silence critics - 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)
Terrorism 1 field
- 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: 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 the Terrorism reference guide
Transnational Issues 2 fields
- Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees: 41,408 (2024 est.)IDPs: 2,065,358 (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/
Frequently asked
- What is the population of Burkina Faso in 2025?
- Burkina Faso has a population of 24.07 million (24,074,580) according to World Bank, World Development Indicators data for 2025.
- What is the capital of Burkina Faso?
- The capital of Burkina Faso is Ouagadougou.
- How large is the economy of Burkina Faso?
- Burkina Faso's GDP is $27.63B (2025, World Bank, World Development Indicators), which is $1,148 per capita.
- Who leads Burkina Faso?
- Head of state: Ibrahim Traoré (since October 6, 2022). Head of government: Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla (since January 23, 2022). Source: Wikidata, checked August 11, 2026.
Burkina Faso