Burkina FasoDownload light PDF version

Overview

With its six bordering countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo) all being members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Burkina Faso is at the geographic centre of the continental ECOWAS area. This may in part explain why such a large number of regional and international organisations and NGOs are located in the “country of honest men” (literal translation from Mooré of Burkina Faso). Burkina Faso hosts, for example, the headquarters of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the Executive Secretariat of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and the Executive Secretary of the Volta Basin Authority (ABV). The Burkinabè government is also very involved in sub-regional diplomacy and has played a key role as mediator for neighbouring countries affected by political crises (namely, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Togo). 

Together, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali form the largest cotton basin in Africa. As a landlocked country, Burkina Faso is particularly dependant on regional transport corridors which link to ports in Abidjan, Cotonou, Dakar, Lomé and Tema. Intra-regional trade is an important driver of growth in Burkina Faso. A third of Burkina Faso’s recorded exports in 2008 were sent to UEMOA and ECOWAS member countries. With most agro-food business not recorded in official statistics, the numbers are certainly in reality much higher. In terms of energy policy, Burkina Faso also counts on regional co-operation to meet its energy needs. A high tension line between Bolgatanga, Ghana and Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou is set to be launched in 2012 as part of the ECOWAS Power Pool Expansion Investment Plan.

Traditionally, Burkina Faso has a long history of migration with Côte d’Ivoire, particularly due to labour-intensive work in Côte d’Ivoire’s agricultural sector (on cocoa farms notably). It is estimated that about 2.5 million Burkinabè are residents in Côte d’Ivoire, including a large share of second and third generation immigrants who have often never been to their country of origin.

Institutional Framework

Government type: Parliamentary Republic
Constitution: approved by referendum on 2 June 1991; formally adopted on 11 June 1991; last amended in January 2002.
Legal System: civil law based on the French model and customary law
Administrative Division

45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo 

Executive Branch:
  • President: Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
  • Prime Minister: Luc-Adolphe TIAO (since April 2011)
  • Number of Ministers in Cabinet: 31
  • Gender Balance: 2 women, 29 men
Legislative Branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Judical Branch: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Council of State or Conseil d'Etat; Court of Accounts or la Cour des Comptes; Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel
Main Political Parties:
  • African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA;
  • Citizen's Popular Rally or RPC;
  • Coalition of Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B;
  • Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP;
  • Democratic and Popular Rally or RDP;
  • Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP;
  • Party for African Independence or PAI;
  • Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS;
  • Party for Democracy and Socialism or PDS;
  • Party for National Rebirth or PAREN ;
  • Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB;
  • Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB;
  • Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS;
  • Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS;
  • Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS ;
  • Union for the Republic or UPR ;
  • Union of Sankarist Parties or UPS
Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 November 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
Election Results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.2%, Hama Arba DIALLO 8.2%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 6.3%, other 5.3%
Central Bank: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Military Branches
  • Army
  • Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aérienne de Burkina Faso, FABF)
  • National Gendarmerie (2011)
Military Age and Obligations:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in supporting roles (2011)
Membership in Regional Organisations ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS, ABN, ABV, Ced-sad

Source: CIA Factbook

Regional Indicators

Land boundaries: 3 192 km
Border countries: Benin (306 km), Côte d'Ivoire (584 km), Ghana (549 km), Mali (1 000 km), Niger (628 km), Togo (126 km)
Coastline: 0 (landlocked)
Airports:

24 (2010) including 2 with paved runways

Railways: 622 km
Roadways: 92 495 km
paved: 3 857 km
unpaved: 88 638 km (2004)
Waterways: -
Ports and terminals: -

Source: CIA Factbook and others

Demographic Trends

Population 2010: 16.3 million
Projection 2050: 46.7 million
Population < 15 years (2010): 7.1 million (= 45.3% of total population)
Population density: 60/km2
Urban agglomeration: Ouagadougou (1.4 million, Africapolis)
Annual growth:

2.97 % (2005-2010)
> 2.98% (2010-2015)

Total fertility rate (births per woman):

6.46 (2005-2010)
> 6.12 (2010-2015)

Median age: 16.3 years
Dependency ratio:

97
2010
2020
2030
<15 years (%) 47.1 45.6 42.5
15-64 years 50.7 52.3 55.3
> 65 years 2.2 2.1 2.2
       
Rural population 64.1 56.3 48.7
Urban population 35.9 43.7 51.3

Source: World Populations Prospects, 2008 Revision

Migration and Mobility

Number of emigrants (2010): 1 576 400 = 9.7% of total population
Number of immigrants (2010): 104 300 = 6.4% of total population
Top destination countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Mali, Italy, Benin, Nigeria, France, Gabon, Germany, the United States
Top source countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Ghana, Togo, Niger, Benin
Refugees within country:

600 (2009)

Source: World Bank 2011 Migration and Remittances Factbook

Economic Indicators

GDP PPP (2010):   USD 20 986 million
% of West Africa 3.5%
GDP per capita: USD 1 289
Annual growth (2010): 5.7%
Average growth (2002-2012): 5.5%
Currency F CFA
WB Income group: Low income
Inflation rate:

0.9%

Trade balance

USD -483 million

FDI inflows (2009): USD 171 million
External debt (2009):

USD 1931 million = 4.6% of GDP

Debt service (as % of exports 2010e): 4.9%

Public finance (% of GDP 2009):
  • Revenue and grants: 19.6%
  • Expenditures and net lending: 23.1%
  • Overall balance: -3.5
Main exports:

Cotton, livestock, gold

Main imports:

Capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

Main export partners:

China 21.2%, Singapore 15%, Belgium 11.4%, Ghana 6.1%, Denmark 5.1%, Niger 4.6%, Thailand 4% (2009)

Main import partners: Côte d’Ivoire 24.7%, France 19.8%, Togo 5% (2009)
Labour force participation (2008):

79.7% Female;  
91.5% Male

Child labour (% of children ages 5–14) 1999–2007: 47
Diaspora Remittances 2009e:
  • USD 49 million
  • = 0.6% of GDP
  • = USD 2.97 per capita

ODA received:
  • USD 1084 million
  • = 5.16% of GDP
  • = USD  65.82 per capita

Military Expenditures:
  • USD 110 million
  • = 1.2% of GDP (2009)
IMF Adjustment Programme yes
Corruption Perception Index (2010):

3.1 (rank 98 out of 178 countries)

Index of Economic Freedom 2011:

60.6 (rank 85 out of 179 countries)

WB Doing Business Index (2011): Rank 150 out of 183 countries
Ibrahim African Governance Index (2011): Rank 19 out of 53 countries

Sources: African Economic Outlook - CIA Factbook - Various Indexes

Food Security

Global Hunger Index (IFPRI, 2011): 17.2
Food supply (kcal per capita/day) 2 669
Number of people undernourished:
1.2 million

:Percentage of people undernourished:

 9%
Child malnutrition, underweight: 37%
Child malnutrition, stunting: 35%

Land use


Land area (1000 ha): 27 360
Agricultural land area (1 000 ha)::
 11 965

Arable land (1 000 ha):

 6 300
Permanent crops (1 000 ha): 60
Pastures (1 000 ha): 6 000
Irrigated land (1 000 ha): 30
Share in total water use by
  • agriculture: 86.3%
  • industry: 0.8%
  • domestic use: 13%
Forest area (1000 ha): 5 649

Source: FAOStat (2009) and FAO Country Profile

Social Indicators

Ethnic groups

Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)

Major religions Muslim 60.5%, Catholic 19%, animist 15.3%, Protestant 4.2%, other 0.6%, none 0.4%

Health

Public expenditure on health (% of GDP) 3.4%
Infant mortality rate (per 1 000 live births) 92
Under-five mortality rate (per 1 000 live births)

166
Number of physicians (for 100 000 people) (2004) 2.1
Hospital beds (for 10 000 people)

9 (2006)

Estimated HIV prevalence (2007) 1.6%
Death rates associated with Malaria:

 

Education

Public expenditure on education (% of GDP): 4.6%
Expected years of schooling (of children under 7) 6.3 years
Mean years of schooling (of adults over 25)
1.3 years
Adult literacy rate (% aged 15 and above) 28.7% (2007)
Youth literacy rate 39.3% (2008)
Primary enrolment (% both sexes) 64.4%
Net secondary Enrolment: 467 658 students (2009)
University attendance ratio: 3.4% (2009)
Universities: 5 public and 2 private universities

ICT

Internet access (per 100 inhabitants) 2009: 1.13
Internet domain: bf
International dialing code: 226
Mobile line (per 100 inhabitants) 2009:

24.27

Main telephone line (per 100 inhabitants) 2009: 0.97

Access to Basic Services

Access to Electricity 2007:

kWh 727 millions

Water Supply Coverage (2008):

76% (urban 95%, rural 72%)

Sanitation Coverage (2008):

11% (urban 33%, rural 6%)

Sources : UNDP Human Development Report 2011, CIA Factbook, others

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