Burkina Faso Population 2023 (Live)

Burkina Faso’s population is 20.9 million people for 2020. According to current projections, its population is expected to surpass 50 million people in 2058 and will reach a population of 82.61 million people by 2099. Burkina Faso’s population will be almost four times higher at the end of the century than it is in 2020.

Burkina Faso’s population grew 2.86% from 2019 to 2020, adding about 582,000 people to the population. Although the country has negative net migration, the high fertility rate of 5.23 births per woman allows the country’s population to continue growing.

Almost half of the population is under 15 years old and the median age of the population is 17.6 years. While contraceptive education has increased in Burkina Faso, usage is still very low.

Burkina Faso Area and Population Density

Burkina Faso's population is growing rapidly. The 2006 census found a population of 14 million, which has already grown to almost 18 million. The country does have a low population density, however, of just 57 people per square kilometer, which ranks 145th in the world.

Most of the population is located in the center and south of Burkina Faso, with a density that goes over 48 people per square kilometer in some areas. Hundreds of thousands of people regularly migrate to Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire for seasonal work.

Largest Cities in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has a relatively low urban population, with 30.69% of the population living in cities. The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou, or just Ouaga, with a population of 1.8 million, which covers 84.7 square miles. Bobo-Diolasso is the next most sizable city, with a population of 537,728 over 52.81 square miles. Aside from these two urban centers, there aren't any other cities with populations much over 100,000.

Most of the 17 million people in Burkina Faso belong to one of two West African ethnic cultural groups: the Voltaic and the Mande. Voltaic Mossi make up about 50% of the population and are descended from warriors who moved to the area from Ghana around 1100, establishing an empire that lasted over 800 years.

In 1995, the ethnic composition of Burkina Faso was: 48% Mossi, 10% Fulani, 7% Lobi, 7% Bobo, 6.7% Mande, 5% Senufo, 5% Gurunsi, 4.8% Gurma and 3.1% Tuareg.

About 69 languages are spoken in the country, 60 of which are indigenous. About 40% of the population speaks Mossi, although the official language is still French, which was introduced during the country's colonial period.

The median age is just under 17 years old. A 2005 World Health Organization report estimated that almost 73% of girls and women in Burkina Faso have undergone female genital mutilation, which is done according to traditional rituals in the area. Burkina Faso is one of the last great strongholds of slavery in the world, and children in the country are often victims of slavery.

Activists in the country have lobbied for more attention to birth control, which has been largely ignored as attention has focused on preventing HIV/AIDs. Without controlling its population, Burkina Faso will have difficulty improving living standards.

Burkina Faso Religion, Economy and Politics

The majority of the population in Burkina Faso, 60.5%, practice Islam. The remainder of the population of relatively religiously diverse, with 23.2% practicing Christianity, 15.3% following indigenous beliefs, and the remaining 1% having no reported religion.

Burkina Faso is one of the world's most impoverished countries and over 90% of its citizens are farmers, with cotton being the most common crop. Literacy rates are much lower than surrounding nations, and the people that live here are constantly plagued by terrorist attacks, political insecurity, low energy supplies, and poor transportation options.

Burkina Faso Population History

The indigenous population, known as the Mossi Kingdom, was in control of the region since the 1000s. In 1895, they defeated French colonial forces to become a French protectorate. The indigenous army again fought the French in 1915, but this time the French won and executed the leaders of the African army. The nation finally got its independence in 1960. As an independent country, Burkina Faso's population flourished, going from growing at 1% annually in 1960 to the robust growth of today.

Since the turn of the millennium, Burkina Faso has experienced a couple of meningitis outbreaks which killed thousands.