Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	142nd best
Capital	Ouagadougou
Land Area	273 600km21
Location	Africa
Population	19.8m2
Life Expectancy	59.27yrs (2017)3
GNI	$2 118 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BF, BFA, 8545
Internet Domain	.bf6
Currency	Franc (XOF)7
Telephone	+2268

1. Overview
2. Burkina Faso National and Social Development
3. Burkina Faso's Demographics and Migration
4. Burkina Faso's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Burkina Faso's Health
6. Burkina Faso's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Burkina Faso's Modernity and Learning
8. Burkina Faso's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#france

“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. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Previously called Upper Volta and little noticed in the wider world, Burkina Faso nonetheless ends up being many travellers´ favourite West African country. Land-locked Burkina Faso (Burkina to locals) may not have many big-ticket attractions, yet it invariably wins the hearts of travellers for the warmth of its welcome. The vibrant cities, thriving arts milieu, stunning traditional architecture, surprising wildlife-watching opportunities and stirring landscapes will all turn your head. The country´s other big draws are its enchanting landscapes - from atmospheric Sahelian plains, to rolling savannah and surprising geology - and the lively cultural scene. Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina´s two largest and gloriously named cities, are famous for their long-standing musical traditions and beautiful handicrafts. In Bobo, griots (a traditional caste of musicians or praise singers), blacksmiths and `nobles´ (farmers) still live in their respective quarters but happily trade services and drink at the same chopolo (millet beer) bars.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Burkina Faso National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
181	Sierra Leone	0.477
182	Guinea	0.465
183	Yemen	0.455
184	Burkina Faso	0.449
185	Mozambique	0.446
186	Mali	0.428
187	Burundi	0.426
188	Central African Rep.	0.404
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
174	Gambia	$2 172
175	Togo	$2 167
176	Mali	$2 133
177	Burkina Faso	$2 118
178	Guinea-Bissau	$1 908
179	Afghanistan	$1 824
180	Eritrea	$1 729
181	Sierra Leone	$1 622
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.3
2	Norway	30.5
3	Switzerland	32.2
	...
139	Tanzania	108.0
140	Rwanda	108.2
141	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	108.9
142	Burkina Faso	109.1
143	Madagascar	109.9
144	Togo	110.2
145	Cambodia	110.3
146	Benin	110.5
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.8
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Burkina Faso's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Burkina Faso's population is predicted to rise to 29.11 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 4.67. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
55	Australia	24.9m
56	Niger	22.4m
57	Sri Lanka	21.2m
58	Burkina Faso	19.8m
59	Romania	19.5m
60	Mali	19.1m
61	Chile	18.7m
62	Kazakhstan	18.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
183	Namibia	59.3
184	Zimbabwe	59.3
185	Congo, DR	59.2
186	Mali	58.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
195	Mozambique	4.56
196	Gambia	4.59
197	Tanzania	4.66
198	Burkina Faso	4.67
199	Benin	4.90
200	Burundi	4.98
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
3=	Burkina Faso	04.7
5=	Sierra Leone	04.8
5=	Zambia	04.8
7=	Eritrea	04.9
7=	Gambia	04.9
9=	Angola	05.0
9=	Afghanistan	05.0
9=	Zimbabwe	05.0
12=	Nigeria	05.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
93	Dominican Rep.	3.9%
94	Mauritania	3.8%
95	Namibia	3.8%
96	Burkina Faso	3.7%
97	Trinidad & Tobago	3.7%
98	Togo	3.6%
99	Uzbekistan	3.6%
100	Rwanda	3.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
69	Zimbabwe	9.9%
70	Haiti	9.9%
71	San Marino	9.9%
72	Burkina Faso	9.7%
73	Slovakia	9.6%
74	Morocco	9.3%
75	Sri Lanka	9.1%
76	Somalia	8.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Burkina Faso's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#burkina_faso #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Mauritius	60.0
2	S. Africa	60.4
3	Cape Verde	64.6
	...
7	Botswana	80.4
8	Ghana	85.0
9=	Lesotho	94.3
10	Burkina Faso	94.9
11	Tunisia	95.5
12	Benin	97.7
13	Mali	98.6
14	Sao Tome & Principe	101.2
15	Mozambique	101.6
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
104	Venezuela	92.8
105=	Lesotho	94.3
105=	Turkey	94.3
107	Burkina Faso	94.9
108	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	95.1
109	Sri Lanka	95.2
110	Tunisia	95.5
111	Samoa	95.7
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₁₉.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
101	Mongolia	52.57
102	Guinea	52.53
103	Maldives	52.46
104	Burkina Faso	52.25
105	Zimbabwe	52.10
106	Lesotho	52.07
107	Chad	51.89
108	S. Sudan	51.63
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better21
Pos.		Total Per 100021
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
43=	Sierra Leone	3.40
44	S. Korea	3.50
45	Swaziland	3.60
46	Burkina Faso	3.70
47=	Portugal	3.80
47=	Israel	3.80
49=	Guinea	4.00
49=	Sudan	4.00
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
85=	Barbados	85
85=	Rwanda	85
87	India	87
88=	Burkina Faso	88
88=	Kenya	88
88=	Bahrain	88
91	Jordan	91
92	Cape Verde	92
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
168=	Cambodia	6.0
168=	Rwanda	6.0
168=	Djibouti	6.0
168=	Burkina Faso	6.0
168=	Cameroon	6.0
173=	Vietnam	6.5
173=	Bahrain	6.5
173=	Venezuela	6.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
41=	Iceland	20
41=	Romania	20
41=	Bulgaria	20
41=	Burkina Faso	20
41=	Norway	20
41=	Portugal	20
41=	Poland	20
41=	S. Korea	20
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
70	Kenya	8.58
71	Eritrea	8.66
72=	Paraguay	8.78
72=	Burkina Faso	8.78
74	Belize	8.88
75	Yemen	8.88
76	Japan	9.16
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	9.17
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Burkina Faso stated:

“Armed groups and government armed forces committed violations of international humanitarian law. The armed conflict continued to affect the rights to food, water, health and education. There were cases of arbitrary detention and violations of the right to freedom of expression. Two historical judicial cases of high-profile killings were finally completed, including one related to the murder of President Thomas Sankara in 1987.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₅

Gender Equality Datasets:

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Burkina Faso and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Burkina Faso is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women. Traditional Islamic beliefs are the cause of this situation.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Islam and Women" by Vexen Crabtree (2011)

Gender Inequality Lower is better26
Pos.		202226
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
149	Mauritania	0.60
150	Congo, DR	0.61
151	Mali	0.61
152	Burkina Faso	0.61
153	Sierra Leone	0.61
154	Ivory Coast	0.62
155	Niger	0.62
156	Haiti	0.62
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Note there was only 1 datapoint in the 1990s but it's consistent with the following decades' trends, so its still listed as an 'average' for the 1990s.

Gender Biases Lower is better27
Pos.		2022 %27
1	Sweden	31.828
2	New Zealand	34.429
3	Australia	37.029
	...
63	Palestine	98.228
64	Kuwait	98.328
65	Jordan	98.529
66	Burkina Faso	98.630
67	Algeria	98.728
68	Zimbabwe	98.729
69	Yemen	98.728
70	Azerbaijan	98.728
	Africa Avg	98.10
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
117=	Hungary	1958
117=	Chad	1958
117=	Nigeria	1958
117=	Burkina Faso	1958
117=	Guinea	1958
122=	Madagascar	1959
122=	Tunisia	1959
122=	Tanzania	1959
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality Higher is better31
Pos.		2017 Score31
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
94=	Haiti	15
94=	Azerbaijan	15
94=	Equatorial Guinea	15
94=	Burkina Faso	15
94=	Cambodia	15
94=	Vanuatu	15
94=	Congo, DR	15
94=	Lesotho	15
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better32
Pos.		202132
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
20=	USA	1.8
20=	Slovenia	1.8
20=	Palau	1.8
20=	Burkina Faso	1.8
20=	Albania	1.8
20=	Kosovo	1.8
20=	S. Korea	1.8
27=	Barbados	2.0
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Burkina Faso's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #burkina_faso #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)33
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank33
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
38	Madagascar	135.6
39	Sudan	135.8
40	Chad	137.3
41	Burkina Faso	138.1
42	Liberia	138.2
43	Niger	140.0
44	Sierra Leone	140.2
45	Ivory Coast	140.3
46	Nigeria	142.0
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)33
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank33
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
184	Sudan	135.8
185	Kiribati	136.8
186	Chad	137.3
187	Burkina Faso	138.1
188	Liberia	138.2
189	Niger	140.0
190	Sierra Leone	140.2
191	Ivory Coast	140.3
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₄.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₄, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₄.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Burkina Faso is a pretty unhealthy country. Burkina Faso comes in the best 20 in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₅ (the lowest in Africa). It does better than average when it comes to its smoking rate₃₆. When it comes to most other metrics, Burkina Faso does not do well. It does worse than average for its immunizations take-up₃₇ (still high for Africa), its alcohol consumption rate₃₈ and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₉. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its adolescent birth rate₄₀, its average life expectancy₁₁, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₄₁ and in its fertility rate₁₄. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Burkina Faso in 1990 was 49.4yrs, much lower than the global average of 64.6. It improved by +10.6yrs in the 30 years from then, more than the global average improvement of +7.9yrs over the same period. Burkina Faso's peak fertility rate was 7.26 in 1981.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
179	Benin	59.8
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
183	Namibia	59.3
184	Zimbabwe	59.3
185	Congo, DR	59.2
186	Mali	58.9
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better38
Pos.		2016 Per Capita38
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
119=	Montenegro	8.0
120=	Malta	8.1
120=	Macedonia	8.1
122=	Burkina Faso	8.2
122=	St Vincent & Grenadines	8.2
122=	Dominica	8.2
125	Thailand	8.3
126=	Ivory Coast	8.4
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
195	Mozambique	4.56
196	Gambia	4.59
197	Tanzania	4.66
198	Burkina Faso	4.67
199	Benin	4.90
200	Burundi	4.98
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better36
Pos.		Total %36
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
54	Iran	13.3%
55	St Lucia	13.9%
56	Namibia	14.2%
57=	Burkina Faso	14.3%
57=	Norway	14.3%
57=	UK	14.3%
60	Rwanda	14.3%
61	Zambia	14.6%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
122	Argentina	122
123	Laos	123
124	Antigua & Barbuda	124
125	Burkina Faso	125
126	Mauritius	126
127	Congo, DR	127
128	Gabon	128
129	Ivory Coast	129
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better35
Pos.		1976 %35
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
8=	Bhutan	6.3
8=	Afghanistan	6.3
10	Indonesia	6.6
11	Burkina Faso	6.8
12	Maldives	7.2
13=	Sri Lanka	7.5
13=	Ethiopia	7.5
15	Myanmar	7.6
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better42
Pos.		2022 %42
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
11	Niger	5.3%
12	Chad	5.7%
13	Congo, DR	5.8%
14	Burkina Faso	6.1%
15	Malawi	6.4%
16	Sierra Leone	6.5%
17	Nepal	6.6%
18	S. Korea	6.7%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better40
Pos.		2022 Per 100040
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
178	Uganda	105.7
179	Congo, DR	107.5
180	Cameroon	108.6
181	Burkina Faso	108.7
182	Guinea	112.2
183	Somalia	116.1
184	Zambia	116.1
185	Malawi	117.2
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better37
Pos.		2015 Avg %37
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
115	Iceland	91.5
116	Trinidad & Tobago	91.4
117	Jamaica	90.9
118	Burkina Faso	90.6
119	Nepal	90.1
120	Montenegro	89.9
121	Zimbabwe	89.7
122	Senegal	89.5
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better41
Pos.		Total Per 100041
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
183	Equatorial Guinea	95.42
184	Congo, DR	97.76
185	Benin	98.27
186	Burkina Faso	103.67
187	Guinea	114.22
188	Mali	117.79
189	Nigeria	126.78
190	Niger	127.65
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

Burkina Faso was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2010s it was still amongst only 27 countries that still fell into the same grouping.

6. Burkina Faso's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
13	Tanzania	61.6
14	Ethiopia	61.7
15	Cameroon	62.6
16	Burkina Faso	63.1
17	Gambia	63.3
18	Senegal	63.4
19	Lesotho	66.1
20	Guinea	67.1
21	Ivory Coast	70.8
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
37	Italy	63.1
38	Jordan	63.1
39	Ireland	63.1
40	Burkina Faso	63.1
41	Gambia	63.3
42	Senegal	63.4
43	Hong Kong	64.6
44	Cyprus	64.8
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₄. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Burkina Faso ranks 40th in the world. This is computed using 21 data sets. Burkina Faso does better than average in energy to GDP efficiency₄₅, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₆, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₇ (but high for Africa) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Burkina Faso still has work to do. Burkina Faso does worse than average when it comes to its environmental performance₄₈ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₉.

Environmental Performance Higher is better48
Pos.		201848
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
151	Solomon Islands	43.2
152	Iraq	43.2
153	Laos	42.9
154	Burkina Faso	42.8
155	Sierra Leone	42.5
156	Gambia	42.4
157	Congo, (Brazzaville)	42.4
158	Bosnia & Herzegovina	41.8
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better45
Pos.		2022 Avg45
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
18	Gabon	0.55
19	Switzerland	0.55
20	Nepal	0.55
21	Burkina Faso	0.55
22	Gambia	0.55
23	Philippines	0.57
24	Cameroon	0.57
25	Ivory Coast	0.57
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
89	Bahamas	60%
90	Malawi	60%
91	Monaco	60%
92	Burkina Faso	59%
93	Benin	59%
94	Ireland	59%
95	Colombia	58%
96	Turkmenistan	58%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Burkina Faso was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better46
Pos.		2011 %46
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
36	Kenya	52.1%
37	Central African Rep.	51.9%
38	Belize	50.6%
39	Burkina Faso	50.5%
40	Dominican Rep.	50.2%
41	Thailand	49.9%
42	Italy	49.6%
43	Vietnam	49.1%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better47
Pos.		2021 kg47
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
60	Tajikistan	32.4
61	Mauritania	32.4
62	Philippines	32.9
63	Burkina Faso	33.3
64	Central African Rep.	34.4
65	Comoros	34.5
66	Venezuela	35.6
67	Jordan	36.0
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Burkina Faso's Modernity and Learning

#burkina_faso #djibouti #education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #niger #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
29	Lesotho	133.7
30	Angola	133.8
31	Congo, (Brazzaville)	135.5
32	Burkina Faso	136.5
33	Liberia	136.6
34	Benin	138.3
35	Sudan	139.0
36	Mali	139.1
37	Tanzania	140.1
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
158	Lesotho	133.7
159	Angola	133.8
160	Congo, (Brazzaville)	135.5
161	Burkina Faso	136.5
162	Liberia	136.6
163	Myanmar	137.3
164	Tuvalu	138.2
165	Benin	138.3
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₅₁. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₁. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₂.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₃

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₁.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

In 1990, education in Burkina Faso was woefully short - the average person could expect just a quarter of the global average (of 10 years). Throughout the 1990s, there was an improvement of +1 year, although in 2000-9 it was still the country with the 3rd-shortest period of education, after Niger and Djibouti.₅₄

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2955
2	Israel	4.1155
3	Japan	3.5855
	...
89=	Togo	0.2256
89=	Nigeria	0.2257
91	Azerbaijan	0.2158
92	Burkina Faso	0.2059
93	Vietnam	0.1960
94=	Panama	0.1860
94=	Mauritius	0.1856
96=	Oman	0.1758
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better61
Pos.		201861
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
162	Mali	13.1%
163	Papua New Guinea	12.5%
164	Bhutan	12.0%
165	Guinea	11.7%
166	Burundi	9.3%
167	Burkina Faso	8.8%
168	Niger	6.6%
169	Chad	6.0%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better62
Pos.		2021 Years62
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
179	Mauritania	9.4
180	Tanzania	9.2
181	Syria	9.2
182	Burkina Faso	9.1
183	Yemen	9.1
184	Senegal	9.0
185	Pakistan	8.7
186	Eritrea	8.1
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
89	Seychelles	89
90	Iran	90
91	Antigua & Barbuda	91
92	Burkina Faso	92
93	Trinidad & Tobago	93
94	Malawi	94
95	Mexico	95
96	Guinea	96
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better63
Pos.		2018 %63
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
97=	Philippines	91
97=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103=	Mali	94
103=	Pakistan	94
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better64
Pos.		200664
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
121=	Burundi	69
121=	Nigeria	69
123=	Chad	68
123=	Burkina Faso	68
123=	Somalia	68
123=	Angola	68
127=	Guinea	67
127=	Liberia	67
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better65
Pos.		201665
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
174=	Djibouti	12%
175	Cambodia	11%
176	Gabon	10%
177	Burkina Faso	10%
178	Solomon Islands	10%
179	Liberia	9%
180	Congo, (Brazzaville)	8%
181=	Togo	7%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better66
Pos.		201366
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
31	Zambia	0.76
32	Kenya	0.77
33	Cameroon	0.77
34	Burkina Faso	0.79
35	Ivory Coast	0.82
36	Ethiopia	0.84
37	Iran	0.85
38	Laos	0.86
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better67
Pos.		202467
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
108	El Salvador	30.0%
109	Cambodia	29.4%
110	Honduras	28.5%
111	Burkina Faso	27.0%
112	Tanzania	26.9%
113	Uganda	26.9%
114	Tajikistan	25.9%
115	Zimbabwe	24.9%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Burkina Faso's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#burkina_faso #capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)68
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank68
1	Mauritius	50.2
2	Seychelles	66.3
3	Tunisia	76.3
	...
18	Tanzania	99.9
19	Lesotho	100.7
20	Sierra Leone	100.8
21	Burkina Faso	102.7
22	Guinea	103.7
23	Uganda	104.0
24	Gabon	104.3
25	Ivory Coast	104.6
26	Gambia	105.8
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=54.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)68
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank68
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
136	Sierra Leone	100.8
137	Palestine	101.4
138	Venezuela	102.4
139	Burkina Faso	102.7
140	Guinea	103.7
141	Bangladesh	103.8
142	Uganda	104.0
143	Gabon	104.3
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better69
Pos.		2022 %69
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
67=	Cyprus	40.0
68=	Malawi	39.0
68=	Slovenia	39.0
68=	Burkina Faso	39.0
68=	Tajikistan	39.0
68=	Peru	39.0
73=	Uzbekistan	38.0
73=	Chile	38.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better70
Pos.		2022 Points70
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
77=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
77=	Vietnam	42.0
77=	Trinidad & Tobago	42.0
77=	Burkina Faso	42.0
77=	Solomon Islands	42.0
77=	Kuwait	42.0
77=	Hungary	42.0
84	Kosovo	41.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better71
Pos.		2024 Score71
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
117	Gambia	4.4
118	India	4.4
119	Chad	4.4
120	Burkina Faso	4.4
121	Benin	4.4
122	Somalia	4.3
123	Mali	4.3
124	Cambodia	4.3
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
121	Tanzania	121
122	Zimbabwe	122
123	Egypt	123
124	Burkina Faso	124
125	Dominican Rep.	125
126	Oman	126
127	Mozambique	127
128	Niger	128
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better72
Pos.		Total Q72
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
140	Rwanda	62.2
141	Sao Tome & Principe	60.5
142	Uzbekistan	59.0
143=	Burkina Faso	58.8
143=	India	58.8
143=	Mauritania	58.8
146	Tajikistan	58.5
147	Gabon	58.0
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
27	Canada	27
28	Trinidad & Tobago	28
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	29
30	Burkina Faso	30
31	Lebanon	31
32	Barbados	32
33	Mongolia	33
34	Spain	34
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

The 2021 edition of the Global Peace Index saw Burkina Faso decline more than any other country, and says the country is now in "a state of low level civil war" due to the scale of armed conflict between civilians and the government₇₃.

Global Peace Index Lower is better74
Pos.		2023 Score74
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
147=	Iran	2.80
147=	Turkey	2.80
149	N. Korea	2.85
150	Burkina Faso	2.87
151	Ethiopia	2.87
152	Central African Rep.	2.93
153	Mali	2.96
154	Iraq	3.01
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
43	Senegal	43
44	Switzerland	44
45	Bolivia	45
46	Burkina Faso	46
47	Philippines	47
48	UK	48
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49
50	Ireland	50
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better39
Pos.		2017 Rank39
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
63	Uganda	63
64	Moldova	64
65	Mozambique	65
66=	Burkina Faso	66
66=	Kyrgyzstan	66
68	Iran	68
69	Malawi	69
70	Latvia	70
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better75
Pos.		2019 Score75
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
121	Saudi Arabia	5.24
122	Ethiopia	5.35
123	UK	5.41
124	Burkina Faso	5.42
125	Myanmar	5.51
126	Mozambique	5.54
127	Ukraine	5.55
128	Niger	5.60
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better76
Pos.		Total %76
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
95	Chad	39.48%
96	Guinea-Bissau	39.86%
97	Nigeria	41.82%
98	Burkina Faso	42.06%
99	Kenya	45.92%
100	Niger	60.49%
101	Madagascar	69.17%
102	Central African Rep.	71.62%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better77
Pos.		201977
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
165	Togo	30.50
166	Niger	30.90
167	Guinea	31.30
168=	Burkina Faso	32.00
168=	Angola	32.00
170	Haiti	32.20
171	Guinea-Bissau	32.30
172	Lesotho	33.10
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better78
Pos.		2023 %78
1	Slovakia	24.1%79
2	Slovenia	24.3%79
3	Belarus	24.4%80
	...
99	Dominican Rep.	37.0%81
100	Solomon Islands	37.1%82
101=	Chad	37.4%81
101=	Burkina Faso	37.4%79
103	Burundi	37.5%80
104	Sri Lanka	37.7%83
105=	Israel	37.9%79
105=	Togo	37.9%79
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Burkina Faso - only for 6 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better84
Pos.		2018 Severity84
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
94	Madagascar	.453
95	Mali	.457
96	Central African Rep.	.465
97	Ethiopia	.489
98	Burkina Faso	.519
99	Chad	.533
100	S. Sudan	.580
101	Niger	.590
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)63
Pos.		Lower is better %63
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103=	Mali	94
103=	Pakistan	94
105=	Ethiopia	98
105=	Senegal	98
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₅:

	2010	2020
Muslim	64.3%	67.4%
Christian	26.6%	28%
Other	8.45%	4.01%
Unaffiliated	0.624%	0.576%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 60.5%, Catholic 19%, animist 15.3%, Protestant 4.2%, other 0.6%, none 0.4%₈₆.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?