Burkina Faso profile

Demography and Health

Burkina Faso has about 23.55 million people as of 2024, placing it among West Africa’s populous countries with a notably young demographic profile. The country exhibits a high birth rate of 31.6 per 1,000 people, and a crude death rate of 7.96 per 1,000, signaling rapid natural increase but also persistent pressures on health and social services. Life expectancy at birth stands at 61.1 years, reflecting ongoing health, nutrition, and sanitation challenges. Child mortality remains alarmingly high, with under-5 mortality at 77.3 per 1,000 live births, underscoring the strain on maternal and child health, vaccination coverage, and access to quality pediatric care. Poverty affects 43.2% of the population at national poverty lines (2021), and 15.4% of people were undernourished (2022), illustrating a strong linkage between health, nutrition, and income levels. Net migration runs at about -25,807 people in 2024, indicating a significant outflow of residents seeking opportunities abroad, which can affect labor markets and skills formation at home. Health financing is modest, with current health expenditure at 6.77% of GDP in 2022, and a very sparse physician density of 0.147 per 1,000 people (2022). Domestic general government health expenditure per capita (PPP, current international US$) is around 70.1, signaling room for expansion of public health funding and improved access. Suicide mortality is 8.5 per 100,000 (2021). Internet access remains limited, with only 17% of the population online in 2023, which constrains health information dissemination, telemedicine, and digital health initiatives. Overall, Burkina Faso faces substantial health and nutrition challenges amid rapid population growth, necessitating investments in primary health care, nutrition, and social protection to realize a potential demographic dividend.

Economy

Burkina Faso’s economy is small and low-income, with GDP per capita around 987 current US dollars in 2024 and GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP) about 2,896 international dollars, reflecting low average income but some adjustment for cost of living. The economy shows moderate openness: exports of goods and services comprise 28.5% of GDP in 2024, while imports account for 34.9% of GDP, implying a trade profile that depends on external inputs and is susceptible to global price shifts. Inflation stood at 4.19% in 2024, indicating relative price stability, albeit vulnerable to shocks in food and energy costs. High-technology exports are relatively small, totaling about 8.32 million US dollars in 2023, underscoring the limited but growing participation in sophisticated manufacturing and knowledge-driven sectors. Research and development expenditure is 0.251% of GDP (2021), which is low by regional and global standards and signals an opportunity to strengthen innovation to diversify growth. Foreign direct investment, net inflows, are 0.538% of GDP (2023), reflecting a modest level of global capital attachment and the need for policy and institutional improvements to attract more durable investment. The current account balance is negative at -5.0% of GDP (2023), indicating import reliance and a need to boost export competitiveness and capital inflows. Taken together, these indicators depict an economy with solid growth potential but constrained by low income levels, limited investment, and a structural need for productivity-enhancing reforms and human capital development.

Trade and Investment

Burkina Faso’s trade profile shows exports at 28.5% of GDP in 2024 and imports at 34.9% of GDP, signaling a modestly open economy with a trade deficit in goods and services typical for a low-income, commodity- and agriculture-oriented country. The country faces infrastructure constraints that are reflected in a Logistics Performance Index score of 2.3 (2022) on a 1-to-5 scale, indicating limited efficiency in trade and transport networks and potential bottlenecks for both imports and exports. Foreign direct investment net inflows amount to 0.538% of GDP (2023), suggesting limited flow of durable capital but potential for improvement with reforms, enhanced governance, and investment incentives. High-technology exports are relatively small, around 8.32 million USD (2023), aligning with a predominantly agrarian and extractive economy and room to diversify into value-added products and digital-enabled sectors. The current account is negative at about 5% of GDP (2023), reflecting a trade balance that relies on external financing and the need to strengthen export capacity and productivity. Overall, Burkina Faso’s trade and investment dynamics point to opportunities in agricultural processing, mineral value chains, and climate-resilient infrastructure, coupled with the need to address logistics efficiency and governance to attract greater investment inflows.

Governance and Institutions

Burkina Faso shows notable governance challenges across key institutions. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism is recorded at -2.04 (2023), a sign of elevated risks in the security environment. Regulatory Quality is -0.486, Rule of Law is -0.742, and Control of Corruption is -0.17, with Government Effectiveness at -0.826 (all in 2023), indicating below-average performance in setting and enforcing policy, delivering services, and maintaining the rule of law. These indicators suggest significant capacity constraints for implementation of reforms and for providing predictable, transparent public services, which can heighten risks for private sector development and deter investment without targeted improvements. The unemployment rate stands at 5.35% (2023), but the country also has a large informal sector that may obscure the true scale of joblessness and underemployment, which affects social stability and inclusive growth. Together, these governance metrics imply that improving public sector efficiency, anti-corruption efforts, regulatory quality, and the rule of law would be important prerequisites for attracting investments and delivering development outcomes.

Infrastructure and Technology

Burkina Faso faces notable infrastructure and technology constraints alongside some positive signals. Internet usage stands at 17.0% of the population in 2023, reflecting a substantial digital divide that affects education, commerce, and health information, while the Logistics Performance Index score of 2.3 (2022) underscores deficiencies in trade-related infrastructure and efficiency. Investment in science and technology is limited, with research and development spending at 0.251% of GDP in 2021, and the physician density at 0.147 per 1,000 people in 2022, pointing to a thin health and science workforce that can hamper innovation and human capital development. On a more positive note, Burkina Faso relies heavily on renewable energy, with 71.4% of total final energy consumption coming from renewable sources in 2022, suggesting substantial potential to expand electricity access through clean means and reduce reliance on polluting fuels. Per capita greenhouse gas emissions are 1.5 t CO2e (2023), reflecting low industrialization but a growth risk if energy demand expands without accompanying efficiency gains. The combination of weak digital, transport, and research ecosystems with relatively clean energy use provides a clear agenda to build roads, electricity access, broadband, and capacity in R&D and innovation to support higher productivity.

Environment and Sustainability

Burkina Faso’s environmental profile shows a persistent development challenge and opportunities for sustainable growth. Renewable energy consumption accounts for 71.4% of total final energy consumption (2022), indicating a heavy reliance on renewables, presumably dominated by traditional biomass and modern renewables in electricity generation, with potential benefits for climate resilience and energy security if reliability and access improve. Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita are 1.5 t CO2e (2023), a relatively low level consistent with limited heavy industry but likely to rise if industrialization accelerates without carbon-conscious policy choices. The level of water stress, defined as freshwater withdrawal relative to available resources, is 7.82 (2021) in the dataset, suggesting pressures on water resources that may intensify with population growth and climate variability, highlighting the need for integrated water management and climate adaptation strategies. The prevalence of undernourishment remains at 15.4% (2022), and poverty continues to be high at 43.2% (2021), illustrating how environmental vulnerability directly intersects with food security and livelihoods. These indicators imply that environmental and climate policies—emphasizing sustainable energy, water stewardship, climate resilience, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture—are essential to long-term development and social stability in Burkina Faso.