Burkina Faso

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 14,067 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 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

total: 2,723,950 | percent of population: 14% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment: system includes microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations; with slow regulatory procedures, insufficient mobile spectrum, and poor condition of fixed-line networks the development of fixed-line Internet services leave Burkina Faso with some of the most expensive telecommunications globally; mobile telephony has experienced growth, but below the African average; Burkina Faso joins G5 Sahel countries to stop roaming fees by 2019; govt proposes technology-neutral licenses to boost mobile broadband connectivity (2018) | domestic: fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage 91.4 per 100, with multiple providers there is competition and the hope for growth from a low base; Internet penetration is 11% countrywide, but higher in urban areas (2018) | international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 76,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 17,946,375 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 89 (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock

Budget

revenues: 2.666 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 3.655 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2010) | 4.25% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.3% (31 December 2017 est.) | 5.3% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.019 billion (2017 est.) | -$820 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$3.056 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.88 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

39.5 (2007) | 48.2 (1994)

Economy - overview

Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country that depends on adequate rainfall. Irregular patterns of rainfall, poor soil, and the lack of adequate communications and other infrastructure contribute to the economy’s vulnerability to external shocks. About 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming and cotton is the main cash crop. The country has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. Cotton and gold are Burkina Faso’s key exports - gold has accounted for about three-quarters of the country’s total export revenues. Burkina Faso’s economic growth and revenue depends largely on production levels and global prices for the two commodities. The country has seen an upswing in gold exploration, production, and exports. In 2016, the government adopted a new development strategy, set forth in the 2016-2020 National Plan for Economic and Social Development, that aims to reduce poverty, build human capital, and to satisfy basic needs. A new three-year IMF program (2018-2020), approved in 2018, will allow the government to reduce the budget deficit and preserve critical spending on social services and priority public investments. While the end of the political crisis has allowed Burkina Faso’s economy to resume positive growth, the country’s fragile security situation could put these gains at risk. Political insecurity in neighboring Mali, unreliable energy supplies, and poor transportation links pose long-term challenges.

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - | 605.3 (2017 est.) | 593.01 (2016 est.) | 593.01 (2015 est.) | 591.45 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.)

Exports

$3.14 billion (2017 est.) | $2.641 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, cotton, livestock

Exports - partners

Switzerland 44.9%, India 15.6%, South Africa 11.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.9% (2017)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.57 billion (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$35.85 billion (2017 est.) | $33.69 billion (2016 est.) | $31.81 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 56.5% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 23.9% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 24.6% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 1% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 28.4% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -34.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 31% (2017 est.) | industry: 23.9% (2017 est.) | services: 44.9% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,900 (2017 est.) | $1,800 (2016 est.) | $1,800 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

6.4% (2017 est.) | 5.9% (2016 est.) | 3.9% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving

9.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 8.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 5.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.9% | highest 10%: 32.2% (2009 est.)

Imports

$3.305 billion (2017 est.) | $2.827 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

Imports - partners

China 13.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 9.5%, US 8.2%, Thailand 8.1%, France 6.5%, Ghana 4.4%, Togo 4.4%, India 4.3% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

10.4% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.4% (2017 est.) | -0.2% (2016 est.)

Labor force

8.501 million (2016 est.) | note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 90% | industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

NA

Population below poverty line

40.1% (2009 est.)

Public debt

38.1% of GDP (2017 est.) | 38.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$49 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $50.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money

$3.357 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.602 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$4.409 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.301 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$3.357 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.602 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

77% (2004)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.421 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

1.551 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

80% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

630 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

342,400 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

990 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 19.2% (2016) | electrification - urban areas: 60.7% (2016) | electrification - rural areas: 0.8% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2016 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.)

Area

total: 274,200 sq km | land: 273,800 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

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

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-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands (2019) | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (2019)

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

total: 3,611 km | border countries (6): Benin 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 545 km, Ghana 602 km, Mali 1325 km, Niger 622 km, Togo 131 km

Land use

agricultural land: 44.2% (2016 est.) | arable land: 22% (2016 est.) / permanent crops: 37% (2016 est.) / permanent pasture: 21.93% (2016 est.) | forest: 19.3% (2016 est.) | other: 36.5% (2016 est.)

Location

Western Africa, north of Ghana

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts

Natural resources

gold (4th largest gold producer in Africa), manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt (2018)

Population distribution

Most of the population is located in the center and south. Nearly 31 percent of the population lives in cities. The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou (Ouaga), with a population of 1.8 million. (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. (2019)

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

name: Ouagadougou | geographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 W | time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | etymology: Ouagadougou is a Francophone spelling of the native name "Wogodogo," meaning "where people get honor and respect"

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

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 until 2020 | 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, last in 2012 (2019)

Country name

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Burkina Faso | local long form: none | local short form: Burkina Faso | former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta | etymology: name translates as "Land of the Honest (Incorruptible) Men"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew YOUNG (since 1 December 2016) | telephone: [226] 25-49-53-00 | embassy: Rue 15.873, Avenue Sembene Ousmane, Ouaga 2000, Secteur 15 | mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440 | FAX: [226] 25-49-56-28

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Seydou KABORE (since 18 January 2017) | chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577 | FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882

Executive branch

chief of state: President Roch Marc Christian KABORE (since 29 December 2015) | head of government: Prime Minister Christophe DABIRE (since 24 January 2019) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister | elections/appointments: president elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second); election last held on 29 November 2015 (next to be held November 2020); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly | election results: 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%

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: 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, 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, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts: 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; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 29 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020) | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPP 55, UPC 33, CDP 18, Union for Rebirth-Sankarist Party 5, ADF/RDA 3, NTD 3, other 10; composition - men 115, women 12, percent of women 9.4%

National anthem

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

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

African Democratic Rally/Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF/RDA [Gilbert Noel OUEDRAOGO] African People’s Movement or MAP [Victorien TOUGOUMA] Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Eddie KOMBOIGO] Le Faso Autrement [Ablasse OUEDRAOGO] New Alliance of the Faso or NAFA [Mahamoudou DICKO] New Time for Democracy or NTD [Vincent DABILGOU] Organization for Democracy and Work or ODT [Anatole BONKOUNGOU] Party for Development and Change or PDC [Aziz SEREME] Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS [Drabo TORO] Party for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba [Philippe OUEDRAOGO] Party for National Renaissance or PAREN [Michel BERE] People's Movement for Progress or MPP [Simon COMPAORE] Rally for Democracy and Socialism or RDS [Francois OUEDRAOGO] Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Celestin Saidou COMPAORE] Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Adama SERE] Soleil d’Avenir [Abdoulaye SOMA] Union for a New Burkina or UBN [Diemdioda DICKO] Union for Progress and Change or UPC [Zephirin DIABRE] Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Party or UNIR-MS [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA] Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY] Youth Alliance for the Republic and Independence or AJIR [Adama KANAZOE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Former President Blaise COMPAORE (1987-2014) resigned in late October 2014 following popular protests against his efforts to amend the constitution's two-term presidential limit. An interim administration organized presidential and legislative elections - held in November 2015 - where Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president. The country experienced terrorist attacks in its capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018 and continues to mobilize resources to counter terrorist threats mainly in its northern and eastern regions. It experienced over 100 attacks by violent extremists in the first quarter of 2019. Growing insecurity resulted in nearly 500,000 internally displaced persons and more than 2,000 closed schools. The Government of Burkina Faso has made numerous arrests of terrorist suspects, augmented the size of its special terrorism detachment Groupement des Forces Anti-Terroristes (GFAT) in the country’s north, and joined the newly-created G5 Sahel Joint Force to fight terrorism and criminal trafficking groups with regional neighbors Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. In 2017, the Sahara Branch of al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Murabitoun, Ansar al-Dine, and the Macina Liberation Front came together to form Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). JNIM and other groups like Ansarul Islam and ISIS in the Greater Sahara operate in Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso's high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. (2019)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF): Army, Central Army Group (joint logistics command), Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie, National Fire Brigade (Brigade Nationale des Sapeurs-Pompiers, BNSP) (2019)

Military expenditures

2.06% of GDP (2018) | 1.43% of GDP (2017) | 1.23% of GDP (2016) | 1.33% of GDP (2015) | 1.43% of GDP (2014)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2013)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.28% (male 4,434,908 /female 4,307,438) | 15-24 years: 20.19% (male 1,980,755 /female 2,004,763) | 25-54 years: 28.82% (male 2,639,235 /female 3,051,333) | 55-64 years: 3.55% (male 304,642 /female 396,072) | 65 years and over: 3.16% (male 273,031 /female 350,538) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Africa :: Burkina Faso Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Burkina Faso. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

36.9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.2% (2017)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

31.7% (2017/18)

Current Health Expenditure

6.8% (2016)

Death rate

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2018 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. More than 65% of the population is under the age of 25, and the population is growing at 3% 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 almost 6 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 33,500 Malians as of May 2017. (2018)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 92.2 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 87.6 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 4.6 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 21.6 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.5% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 75.8% of population | total: 82.3% of population | unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population | rural: 24.2% of population | total: 17.7% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4.2% of GDP (2015)

Ethnic groups

Mossi 52%, Fulani 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%, Dioula 0.8%, unspecified/no answer 0.3%, other 7.2% (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.7% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,300 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

96,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 54.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 59.2 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 50 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 61.8 years (2018 est.) | male: 60.1 years | female: 63.6 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 36% | male: 43% | female: 29.3% (2015)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2019) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2019) | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2019) | water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2019) | animal contact diseases: rabies (2019) | respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2019)

Major urban areas - population

2.653 million OUAGADOUGOU (capital), 924,000 Bobo-Dioulasso (2019)

Maternal mortality rate

320 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

total: 17.4 years (2018 est.) | male: 16.6 years | female: 18.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.4 years (2010 est.) | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) | adjective: Burkinabe

Net migration rate

-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.6% (2016)

Physicians density

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

19,742,715 (July 2018 est.) | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population distribution

Most of the population is located in the center and south. Nearly 31 percent of the population lives in cities. The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou (Ouaga), with a population of 1.8 million. (2019)

Population growth rate

2.76% (2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim 61.5%, Roman Catholic 23.3%, traditional/animist 7.8%, Protestant 6.5%, other/no answer 0.2%, none 0.7% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 50.4% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 6.7% of population (2015 est.) | total: 19.7% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 49.6% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 93.3% of population (2015 est.) | total: 80.3% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years | male: 9 years | female: 9 years (2017)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.86 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.77 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female | total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.77 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 8.7% | male: 5.3% | female: 12.6%

Urbanization

urban population: 30% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 4.99% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Terrorist groups - foreign based

al-Mulathamun Battalion: aim(s): replace several African governments, including Burkina Faso's government, with an Islamic state area(s) of operation: engages in kidnappings for ransom and violent activities across the country, including in the capital Ouagadougou (2018) | al-Qa'ida-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM): aim(s): establish an Islamic state centered in Mali area(s) of operation: primarily based in northern and central Mali; targets Western and local interests in West Africa and Sahel; has claimed responsibility for attacks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso note: JNIM is an umbrella coalition of al-Qaeda-aligned groups, including Ansar al-Dine, al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Mouabitoun, and the Macina Liberation Front; it conducts attacks, assassinations, and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on UN, French, and local security forces (2019)

Terrorist groups - home based

Ansarul Islam: aim(s): to end government control in parts of the north of the country and enforce sharia in the area of the ancient Fulani Empire of Djeelgodji area(s) of operation: targets Burkinabe security forces and civilians primarily in the country's northern Sahel Region (along the border with Mali) (2019) | Islamic State of Iraq and ash-sham networks in the Greater Sahara (ISGS): aim(s): replace regional governments with an Islamic state area(s) of operation: mostly concentrated in the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border region; targets primarily security forces (2019)

Disputes - international

adding to illicit cross-border activities, Burkina Faso has issues concerning unresolved boundary alignments with its neighbors; demarcation is currently underway with Mali; the dispute with Niger was referred to the ICJ in 2010, and a dispute over several villages with Benin persists; Benin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso around the town of Koualou

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 25,492 (Mali) (2019) | IDPs: 486,360 (2019)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Burkina Faso is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Burkinabe children are forced to work as farm hands, gold panners and washers, street vendors, domestic servants, and beggars or in the commercial sex trade, with some transported to nearby countries; to a lesser extent, Burkinabe women are recruited for legitimate jobs in the Middle East or Europe and subsequently forced into prostitution; women from other West African countries are also lured to Burkina Faso for work and subjected to forced prostitution, forced labor in restaurants, or domestic servitude | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Burkina Faso does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; law enforcement efforts decreased in 2014, with a significant decline in trafficking prosecutions (none for forced begging involving Koranic school teachers – a prevalent form of trafficking) and no convictions, a 2014 law criminalizing the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography is undermined by a provision allowing offenders to pay a fine in lieu of serving prison time proportionate to the crime; the government sustained efforts to identify and protect a large number of child victims, relying on support from NGOs and international organizations; nationwide awareness-raising activities were sustained, but little was done to stop forced begging (2015)

Airports

23 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 (2019) | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 21 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 13 (2013) | under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XT (2016)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 122,589 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 55,868 mt-km (2015)

Railways

total: 622 km (2014) | narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire

Roadways

total: 15,304 km (2014) | paved: 3,642 km (2014) | unpaved: 11,662 km (2014)