Burkina Faso

Name 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"

DesignMeaning

The emblem of BURKINA FASO is a two-coloured flag (red and green), divided into two horizontal bands of equal dimensions. The centre of the flag is charged with a five-pointed yellow/gold star. [...] The central point of the star as well as the two upper lateral points are placed in the red band of the flag, and its two lower points in the green band.

Unofficial translation by Worldometer

EnglishFrench

Title (in French)

Le Ditanye

Title (in English, translated)

Anthem of the Victory

Lyrics

FrenchEnglish

1

Contre la férule humiliante il y a déjà mille ans, La rapacité venue de loin les asservir il y a cent ans. Contre la cynique malice métamorphosée En néocolonialisme et ses petits servants locaux Beaucoup flanchèrent et certains résistèrent. Mais les échecs, les succès, la sueur, le sang Ont fortifié notre peuple courageux et fertilisé sa lutte héroïque.

Chorus

Et une seule nuit a rassemblée en elle L’histoire de tout un peuple. Et une seule nuit a déclenché sa marche triomphale Vers l’horizon du bonheur. Une seule nuit a réconcilié notre peuple Avec tous les peuples du monde, A la conquête de la liberté et du progrès La patrie ou la mort, nous vaincrons.

2

Nourris à la source vive de la Révolution. Les engagés volontaires de la liberté et de la paix Dans l’énergie nocturne et salutaire du 4 août N’avaient pas que les armes à la main, mais aussi et surtout La flamme au coeur pour legitimement libérer Le Faso à jamais des fers de tous ceux qui Çà et là en poluaient l’âme sacrée de l’indépendance, de la souveraineté.

Et une seule nuit a rassemblée en elle

3

Et séant désormais en sa dignité recouvrée L’amour et l’honneur en partage avec l’humanité, Le peuple du Burkina chante un hymne à la victoire, A la gloire du travail libérateur, émancipateur. A bas l’explotation de l’homme par l’homme! Hé en avant pour le bonheur de tout homme, Par tous les hommes aujourd’hui et demain, par tous les hommes ici et pour toujours!

Et une seule nuit a rassemblée en elle

4

Révolution populaire notre sève nourricière. Maternité immortelle du progrès à visage d’homme. Foyer éternel de démocratie consensuelle, Où enfin l’identité nationale a droit de cité, Où pour toujours l’injustice perd ses quartiers, Et où, des mains des bâtisseurs d’un monde radieux Mûrissent partout les moissons de væux patriotiques, brillent les soleils infins de joie.

Et une seule nuit a rassemblée en elle

Land area

273,800 km²

Water area

400 km²

Mali

1,325 km

Niger

622 km

Ghana

602 km

Côte d'Ivoire

545 km

Benin

386 km

Togo

131 km

Avg. temperature

28.6 °C

Avg. daily range

23.2 to 34.4 °C

Annual precipitation

607 mm

Temperature °CMeanDaily range

°C°F

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Precipitation mm

Monthly climate normals

Month	Avg. high, °C	Mean, °C	Avg. low, °C	Precipitation, mm
January	32.2	25.3	18.5	0
February	35.2	28.3	21.3	1
March	38	31.5	24.6	6
April	38.8	32.9	27	20
May	37.3	32	27.1	40
June	34.6	29.9	25.5	58
July	31.8	27.6	24	128
August	30.2	26.5	23.2	200
September	31.6	27.2	23.4	115
October	34.6	28.9	23.8	37
November	35.5	28.1	20.9	2
December	33.2	25.8	18.7	0

Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.

Arable land

7,907,389 hectares (28.9%)

Permanent crops

703,400 hectares (2.6%)

Permanent meadows & pastures

6,000,000 hectares (21.9%)

Forest

3,476,690 hectares (12.7%)

Other land

9,272,521 hectares (33.9%)

Birth rate

30.4 per 1,000 population

Death rate

7.8 per 1,000 population

Net migration rate

−1.2 per 1,000 population

MaleAgeFemale

80+70-7960-6950-5940-4930-3920-2910-190-9

% of total population

Population by age group, % of total population

Age	Male	Female
80+	0.1%	0.2%
70-79	0.5%	0.7%
60-69	1.3%	1.6%
50-59	2.4%	2.7%
40-49	4.2%	4.4%
30-39	6.1%	6.2%
20-29	8.8%	8.7%
10-19	12.6%	12.3%
0-9	13.8%	13.5%

Share aged 65 and over

2.7%

Share aged under 18

47.7%

Total dependency ratio

76

Youth dependency ratio

71

Elderly dependency ratio

5

Sex ratio

0.99 male / female

Under the 2026 Charter of the Revolution, the President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR), through which the armed forces took power in 2022, is President of Faso, Head of State and supreme commander of the armed forces (Art. 5).

The President of Faso sets state policy, may legislate by ordinance, and appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister, with no confidence vote; a 71-member Assembly, partly appointed by the Head of State, legislates until elections due by July 2029 (Arts. 4, 9, 15, 22).

1. ThuJan 1New Year's Day
2. SatJan 3Revolution Day
3. SunMar 8International Women's Day
4. MonMar 9International Women's Day (observed)
5. FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
6. MonApr 6Easter Monday
7. FriMay 1Labor Day
8. ThuMay 14Ascension Day
9. WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
10. WedAug 5Independence Day
11. SatAug 15Assumption Day
12. TueAug 25Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
13. SatOct 31Martyrs' Day
14. SunNov 1All Saints' Day
15. MonNov 2All Saints' Day (observed)
16. FriDec 11Proclamation of Independence Day
17. FriDec 25Christmas Day

Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.

World average 42

highly corruptvery clean

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Confidence interval

Corruption index score by year

Year	Score	Lower bound	Upper bound
2012	38	31	45
2013	38	32	44
2014	38	34	42
2015	38	33	43
2016	42	38	46
2017	42	38	46
2018	41	38	44
2019	40	35.8	44.2
2020	40	37.3	42.7
2021	42	39.8	44.2
2022	42	39.8	44.2
2023	41	38.1	43.9
2024	41	37.2	44.8
2025	40	35.9	44.1

GDP per capita (nominal)

$1,316 (176th in the world)

The shape of the economy

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GDP by end use

Households

+60%

Government

+17.8%

Investment

+17.2%

Exports

+35%

Imports

−30%

Current account

0.6% of GDP, $199 million deficit

Projected GDP growth

+3.8% a year over the next 10 years

By specializationBy volume

ProductSpecialization index

1. 1Cow peas (dry)62.8×
2. 2Sesame seed35.1×
3. 3Cashew nuts (in shell)30×
4. 4Walnuts (in shell)28.5×
5. 5Millet26×
6. 6Sorghum25.5×
7. 7Groundnuts (in shell)9.2×
8. 8Seed cotton (unginned)9.1×
9. 9Raw milk of goats5.6×
10. 10Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)1.7×

Median

F CFA 50,000 per month($86)

Men

F CFA 145,112 per month($249)

Women

F CFA 76,499 per month($131)

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Burkina FasoWorld

Human Development Index by year

Year	Burkina Faso	World
2005	0.333	0.681
2006	0.340	0.688
2007	0.344	0.694
2008	0.357	0.698
2009	0.366	0.701
2010	0.377	0.707
2011	0.389	0.713
2012	0.398	0.717
2013	0.405	0.721
2014	0.409	0.726
2015	0.419	0.731
2016	0.427	0.735
2017	0.438	0.739
2018	0.449	0.741
2019	0.453	0.745
2020	0.453	0.742
2021	0.454	0.742
2022	0.457	0.752
2023	0.459	0.756

Expected for a child today

8.7 years

Share of government spending

20.3%

Households with Internet access

11.1%

Fixed telephone lines

81,374

Fixed broadband

0.1 subscriptions per 100 people

Counts subscriptions, not people.

Debit-card ownership

8%

Account at a bank or mobile-money provider

51%

Mobile-money account

44%

Made or received a digital payment

48%

Asylum seekers

1,458

Internally displaced persons

2,063,2102,063,000 due to conflicts, 210 due to disasters

Refugees from Burkina Faso abroad

168,359

Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2024

Per resident

0.6 arrivals per 100 residents

Visitor spending in the country

$201.2 million(2023)

Domestic trips

489,659 overnight trips by residents

Residents' spending abroad

$190 million(2023)

Hotel beds

41,668

Average hotel stay

3.3 nights

A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.

Site	Type
Ruins of Loropéni	Cultural
Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy Sites of Burkina Faso	Cultural
W-Arly-Pendjari Complex	Natural
Royal Court of Tiébélé	Cultural

Data reliability as rated by INFORM: High. Last updated Aug 26, 2026.

Persons held

8,800

Men

21.1%

Women

5.9%

CO₂ per capita

0.3 t per person

World Rank190thof 207

Share of global CO₂

0.02%

Methane (CH₄)

21 Mt CO₂-eq

Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

6.29 Mt CO₂-eq

Fluorinated gases

1.15 Mt CO₂-eq

All greenhouse gases

34.9 Mt CO₂-eq

WHO guideline

5 µg/m³

Treaty	Standing	Joined
Climate
Paris Agreement	in force	2016
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change	in force	1994
Kyoto Protocol	in force	2005
Ozone layer
Montreal Protocol	in force	1989
Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer)	in force	1989
Biodiversity
Convention on Biological Diversity	in force	1993
CITES	in force	1990
Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn)	in force	1990
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety	in force	2003
Nagoya Protocol	in force	2014
Land and heritage
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands	in force	1990
World Heritage Convention	in force	1987
UN Convention to Combat Desertification	in force	1996
Chemicals and waste
Basel Convention	in force	2000
Rotterdam Convention (PIC)	in force	2004
Stockholm Convention (POPs)	in force	2005
Minamata Convention on Mercury	in force	2017
Oceans
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea	in force	2005
High Seas Treaty (BBNJ)	signed 2024, not ratified
MARPOL 73/78	not a party

Per person

600 m³ per year

Dependency ratio

7% originates outside the country

Annual water withdrawal

0.8 billion m³ per year

Withdrawn for agriculture

51%

Water stress

8% of available freshwater withdrawn

Men

4.4%

Women

10.7%

Per capita

3.83 GJ per person

Share of world total

0.01%

Supply

No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024

OverviewBy source

Generation

1.7 TWh per year

Consumption

2.9 TWh per year

Imports

1.5 TWh per year

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.