culture
Burkina Faso hosts FESPACO, the largest African film and television festival, held every two years in the capital Ouagadougou since 1969.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Population, GDP, and key facts about Burkina Faso — updated for 2026.
Capital · OUAGADOUGOUContinent · AFRICAISO · BFA
Burkina Faso quick facts
- Population
- 23,548,781
- Area
- 274,200 km²
- Population density
- 84 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 23.1 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 982.5
- Capital
- Ouagadougou
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (Fr, XOF)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 74.2/month · Fr 45,000/month (2024)
- Language
- French
Burkina Faso at human scale
Where does Burkina Faso rank in the world?
Compare Burkina Faso with other countries
🇧🇫 vs 🇲🇱Compare Burkina Faso vs Mali🇧🇫 vs 🇲🇿Compare Burkina Faso vs Mozambique1.5× difference in population
Compare Burkina Faso with any country →Burkina Faso's war history
- Government of Burkina FasovsJNIM
Internationalized intrastate
Wars that reached at least 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year, since 1946 — not a full record of every armed conflict Burkina Faso has had. Source: UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset.
See every war since 1946 on the War Timeline →Burkina Faso's energy mix
Fossil fuels · 83%Renewables · 17%
- Oil83%
- Solar7%
- Hydropower5%
- Bioenergy5%
Share of Burkina Faso's own electricity generation by source, 2024. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about Burkina Faso
culture
Burkina Faso's name means "Land of Upright People," combining Mòoré and Dyula words chosen after independence to replace the colonial name Upper Volta.
Countries near Burkina Faso
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Pour other countries into Burkina Faso's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about Burkina Faso
What is the capital of Burkina Faso?
The capital of Burkina Faso is Ouagadougou.
What is Burkina Faso's population?
Burkina Faso has a population of 23,548,781.
What is Burkina Faso's GDP per capita?
Burkina Faso's GDP per capita is US$ 982.5.
What is the currency of Burkina Faso?
The currency of Burkina Faso is the West African CFA franc (XOF).
What is the minimum wage in Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 74.2 per month (as of 2024) — Fr 45,000 per month in local currency.
Is Burkina Faso bigger than Mali?
Mali is about 4.5× the size of Burkina Faso by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.