Burkina Faso Demographics

Population of Burkina Faso (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso Population
24,601,700
see live
Yearly Change
+2.19%
Global Share
0.30%
Global Rank
59

Median Age

The median age in Burkina Faso is 18.0 years (2026).

Fertility in Burkina Faso

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
3.91
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Burkina Faso

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
61.6
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
63.8
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
59.4
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Burkina Faso


Infant Mortality
52.7
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
79.2
(per 1,000 live births)


Burkina Faso Urban Population

Currently, 29.5% of the population of Burkina Faso is urban (7,269,529 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Burkina Faso is 90 people per km² (233 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 273,800 km² (105,715 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Localities in Burkina Faso

The 30 largest of 77 cities and localities, ranked by population at the census of November 16, 2019 (by National Institute of Statistics and Demography, Burkina Faso).

RankCity or LocalityPopulation
1Ouagadougou2,415,266
2Bobo-Dioulasso904,920
3Koudougou160,239
4Saaba136,011
5Ouahigouya124,587
6Kaya121,970
7Banfora117,452
8Pouytenga96,469
9Houndé87,151
10Fada N'Gourma73,200
11Nioko I65,263
12Dédougou63,617
13Tenkodogo61,936
14Djibo61,462
15Kongoussi53,627
16Léo51,743
17Koupéla49,372
18Titao48,241
19Saonré47,728
20Dori46,512
21Arbinda45,818
22Gaoua45,284
23Garango40,404
24Gourcy40,141
25Yako38,679
26Zorgho35,398
27Réo33,894
28Orodara33,422
29Ziniaré33,296
30Niangoloko33,292
See all 77 cities and localities in Burkina Faso

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.