The Human Truth Foundation

Burkina Faso

https://www.humantruth.info/burkina_faso.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#burkina_faso

Burkina FasoFlag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index142nd best
CapitalOuagadougou
Land Area 273 600km21
LocationAfrica
Population19.8m2
Life Expectancy59.27yrs (2017)3
GNI$2 118 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesBF, BFA, 8545
Internet Domain.bf6
CurrencyFranc (XOF)7
Telephone+2268

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

Book CoverPreviously 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
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
181Sierra Leone0.477
182Guinea0.465
183Yemen0.455
184Burkina Faso0.449
185Mozambique0.446
186Mali0.428
187Burundi0.426
188Central African Rep.0.404
Africa Avg0.56
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
174Gambia$2 172
175Togo$2 167
176Mali$2 133
177Burkina Faso$2 118
178Guinea-Bissau$1 908
179Afghanistan$1 824
180Eritrea$1 729
181Sierra Leone$1 622
Africa Avg$5 339
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Denmark27.0
2Norway29.9
3Sweden31.8
...
139Uganda108.0
140Madagascar108.2
141Timor-Leste (E. Timor)108.3
142Burkina Faso108.5
143Tuvalu108.7
144Tanzania108.8
145Sao Tome & Principe109.3
146Tajikistan110.0
Africa Avg119.0
World Avg88.6
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:

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
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
55Australia24.9m
56Niger22.4m
57Sri Lanka21.2m
58Burkina Faso19.8m
59Romania19.5m
60Mali19.1m
61Chile18.7m
62Kazakhstan18.3m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
179Benin59.8
180Guinea-Bissau59.7
181Mozambique59.3
182Burkina Faso59.3
183Namibia59.3
184Zimbabwe59.3
185Congo, DR59.2
186Mali58.9
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
195Mozambique4.56
196Gambia4.59
197Tanzania4.66
198Burkina Faso4.67
199Benin4.90
200Burundi4.98
201Nigeria5.14
202Angola5.21
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
15
Pos.2016
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
3=Burkina Faso04.7
5Sierra Leone04.8
6=Zambia04.8
7Eritrea04.9
8=Gambia04.9
9Angola05.0
10=Afghanistan05.0
10=Zimbabwe05.0
12Nigeria05.1
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.2017
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
93Dominican Rep.3.9%
94Mauritania3.8%
95Namibia3.8%
96Burkina Faso3.7%
97Trinidad & Tobago3.7%
98Togo3.6%
99Uzbekistan3.6%
100Rwanda3.6%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants17
Pos.2010
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
69Zimbabwe9.9%
70Haiti9.9%
71San Marino9.9%
72Burkina Faso9.7%
73Slovakia9.6%
74Morocco9.3%
75Sri Lanka9.1%
76Somalia8.7%
World Avg11.5%
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
1Mauritius63.7
2S. Africa64.3
3Cape Verde68.0
...
9Tunisia95.2
10Lesotho100.4
11Sao Tome & Principe101.2
12Burkina Faso101.3
13Mali101.6
14Benin105.6
15Kenya106.8
16Morocco107.0
17Mozambique107.6
Africa Avg110.04
q=54.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Sweden6.1
2Denmark8.6
3Norway9.0
...
117Samoa100.4
118Azerbaijan100.8
119Sao Tome & Principe101.2
120Burkina Faso101.3
121Mali101.6
122Kosovo102.5
123Lebanon104.4
124Kazakhstan104.7
World Avg86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway19. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan19.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating 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 Africa, The Middle East and Asia19.

For more, see:

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom
Higher is better
20
Pos.202520
1Norway92.31
2Estonia89.46
3Netherlands88.64
...
101Mongolia52.57
102Guinea52.53
103Maldives52.46
104Burkina Faso52.25
105Zimbabwe52.10
106Lesotho52.07
107Chad51.89
108S. Sudan51.63
Africa Avg52.30
World Avg54.65
q=179.
Slavery
Lower is better
21
Pos.2018
% Victims21
1Japan0.03
2=Canada0.05
2=Taiwan0.05
...
89Vietnam0.45
90=Azerbaijan0.45
90=Bulgaria0.45
90=Burkina Faso0.45
90=Tajikistan0.45
94Indonesia0.47
95=Ghana0.48
95=Iraq0.48
Africa Avg0.96
World Avg0.65
q=167.
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better
22
Pos.2014
Rank22
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
85=Barbados85
85=Rwanda85
87India87
88=Burkina Faso88
88=Kenya88
88=Bahrain88
91Jordan91
92Cape Verde92
Africa Avg114.2
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Freedom in the World
Lower is better
Pos.2024
Score
1=Norway1.0
1=Canada1.0
1=Cape Verde1.0
...
168Cambodia6.0
169=Rwanda6.0
169=Djibouti6.0
169=Burkina Faso6.0
169=Cameroon6.0
173Vietnam6.5
174=Bahrain6.5
174=Venezuela6.5
Africa Avg4.8
World Avg3.7
q=205.
Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
23
Pos.2009
Treaties23
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
41Iceland20
42=Romania20
42=Bulgaria20
42=Burkina Faso20
42=Norway20
42=Portugal20
42=Poland20
42=S. Korea20
Africa Avg14.8
World Avg15.1
q=194.
HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
24
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
70Kenya8.58
71Eritrea8.66
72=Paraguay8.78
72=Burkina Faso8.78
74Belize8.88
75Yemen8.88
76Japan9.16
77Bosnia & Herzegovina9.17
Africa Avg9.88
World Avg10.02
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:

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. Cultural Islamic beliefs are squarely to blame for this.

See:

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
26
Pos.202226
1Denmark0.01
2Norway0.01
3Switzerland0.02
...
149Mauritania0.60
150Congo, DR0.61
151Mali0.61
152Burkina Faso0.61
153Sierra Leone0.61
154Ivory Coast0.62
155Niger0.62
156Haiti0.62
Africa Avg0.53
World Avg0.34
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 better
27
Pos.2022
%27
1Sweden31.828
2New Zealand34.429
3Australia37.029
...
63Palestine98.228
64Kuwait98.328
65Jordan98.529
66Burkina Faso98.630
67Algeria98.728
68Zimbabwe98.729
69Yemen98.728
70Azerbaijan98.728
Africa Avg98.10
World Avg83.93
q=88.
Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Total
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
117=Hungary1958
117=Chad1958
117=Nigeria1958
117=Burkina Faso1958
117=Guinea1958
122Madagascar1959
123=Tunisia1959
123=Tanzania1959
Africa Avg1961
World Avg1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
31
Pos.2017
Score31
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
94=Haiti15
94=Azerbaijan15
94=Equatorial Guinea15
94=Burkina Faso15
94=Cambodia15
94=Vanuatu15
94=Congo, DR15
94=Lesotho15
Africa Avg-10.4
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
32
Pos.202132
1=Belgium1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
...
20USA1.8
21=Slovenia1.8
21=Palau1.8
21=Burkina Faso1.8
21=Albania1.8
21=Kosovo1.8
21=S. Korea1.8
27Barbados2.0
Africa Avg3.1
World Avg3.0
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
1Tunisia69.2
2Mauritius69.2
3Seychelles84.8
...
42Mozambique155.8
43Zambia157.1
44Equatorial Guinea157.4
45Burkina Faso157.5
46Uganda159.0
47Chad163.2
48Somalia163.7
49Niger164.3
50Mali165.1
Africa Avg111.13
q=54.
Health (2025)33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank33
1Monaco14.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Isle of Man32.1
...
200Zambia157.1
201Equatorial Guinea157.4
202Marshall Islands157.4
203Burkina Faso157.5
204Uganda159.0
205Chad163.2
206Somalia163.7
207Niger164.3
World Avg96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man34. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria34.

21 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans34, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia34.

For more, see:

Health:

Burkina Faso is a pretty unhealthy country. Burkina Faso does better than average in its smoking rate35. But unfortunately Burkina Faso gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average for its immunizations take-up36 (still high for Africa), its alcohol consumption rate37 and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance38. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for its adolescent birth rate39, its average life expectancy11 and in its fertility rate14. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. 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 better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
179Benin59.8
180Guinea-Bissau59.7
181Mozambique59.3
182Burkina Faso59.3
183Namibia59.3
184Zimbabwe59.3
185Congo, DR59.2
186Mali58.9
Africa Avg62.79
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
37
Pos.2016
Per Capita37
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
119=Montenegro8.0
120Malta8.1
121=Macedonia8.1
122Burkina Faso8.2
123=St Vincent & Grenadines8.2
123=Dominica8.2
125Thailand8.3
126=Ivory Coast8.4
Africa Avg4.8
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
195Mozambique4.56
196Gambia4.59
197Tanzania4.66
198Burkina Faso4.67
199Benin4.90
200Burundi4.98
201Nigeria5.14
202Angola5.21
Africa Avg3.97
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
35
Pos.201435
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
43Ecuador 191
44Myanmar (Burma) 206
45Madagascar 206
46Burkina Faso 213
47Maldives 215
48Panama 224
49Grenada 224
50St Lucia 232
Africa Avg 340
World Avg 819
q=182.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
38
Pos.2017
Rank38
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
122Argentina122
123Laos123
124Antigua & Barbuda124
125Burkina Faso125
126Mauritius126
127Congo, DR127
128Gabon128
129Ivory Coast129
Africa Avg117.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
40
Pos.2016
%40
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
11Uganda22.4
12Afghanistan23.0
13Chad23.1
14Burkina Faso23.2
15Sri Lanka23.3
16Malawi23.4
17Madagascar23.9
18Myanmar (Burma)24.8
Africa Avg33.3
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
39
Pos.2022
Per 100039
1Hong Kong1.6
2Denmark1.8
3S. Korea2.1
...
178Uganda105.7
179Congo, DR107.5
180Cameroon108.6
181Burkina Faso108.7
182Guinea112.2
183Somalia116.1
184Zambia116.1
185Malawi117.2
Africa Avg84.6
World Avg43.8
q=195.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
36
Pos.2015
Avg %36
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
115Iceland91.5
116Trinidad & Tobago91.4
117Jamaica90.9
118Burkina Faso90.6
119Nepal90.1
120Montenegro89.9
121Zimbabwe89.7
122Senegal89.5
Africa Avg81.7
World Avg88.3
q=194.

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)41
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank41
1Morocco46.5
2Burundi47.8
3Mali51.0
...
13Tanzania61.6
14Ethiopia61.7
15Cameroon62.6
16Burkina Faso63.1
17Gambia63.3
18Senegal63.4
19Lesotho66.1
20Guinea67.1
21Ivory Coast70.8
Africa Avg80.07
q=53.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)41
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank41
1Sri Lanka34.9
2Uruguay43.2
3Switzerland45.0
...
37Italy63.1
38Jordan63.1
39Ireland63.1
40Burkina Faso63.1
41Gambia63.3
42Senegal63.4
43Hong Kong64.6
44Cyprus64.8
World Avg84.93
q=199.

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:

Burkina Faso ranks 40th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 6 data sets. Burkina Faso does better than average for energy to GDP efficiency42, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population43, reducing annual meat consumption per person44 (but high for Africa) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. But, things still need to improve in Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso does worse than average when it comes to its environmental performance45 and in its forested percent change 2000-202046.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
46
Pos.Total46
1Guernsey82.6%
2Bahrain75.2%
3Iceland64.7%
...
205El Salvador-13.8%
206Botswana-13.9%
207Sierra Leone-14.0%
208Burkina Faso-14.4%
209Antigua & Barbuda-14.6%
210Angola-14.8%
211Argentina-14.9%
212Tanzania-15.3%
Africa Avg-8.7%
World Avg-0.1%
q=234.

From 2010 to 2020, Burkina Faso destroyed 7% of its forest cover, falling from 6717 thousand hectares to 6216.

Environmental Performance
Higher is better
45
Pos.201845
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
151Solomon Islands43.2
152Iraq43.2
153Laos42.9
154Burkina Faso42.8
155Sierra Leone42.5
156Gambia42.4
157Congo, (Brazzaville)42.4
158Bosnia & Herzegovina41.8
Africa Avg46.4
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Lower is better
42
Pos.2022
Avg42
1Rwanda0.25
2Chad0.26
3Tanzania0.31
...
18Gabon0.55
19Switzerland0.55
20Nepal0.55
21Burkina Faso0.55
22Gambia0.55
23Philippines0.57
24Cameroon0.57
25Ivory Coast0.57
Africa Avg0.83
World Avg1.23
q=165.
International Accords on the Environment
Higher is better
Pos.Total
Avg Rate
1Sweden83%
2Canada82%
3Norway81%
...
89Bahamas60%
90Malawi60%
91Monaco60%
92Burkina Faso59%
93Benin59%
94Ireland59%
95Colombia58%
96Turkmenistan58%
Africa Avg56.4%
World Avg57.5%
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 better
43
Pos.2011
%43
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
36Kenya52.1%
37Central African Rep.51.9%
38Belize50.6%
39Burkina Faso50.5%
40Dominican Rep.50.2%
41Thailand49.9%
42Italy49.6%
43Vietnam49.1%
Africa Avg38.3%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
44
Pos.2021
kg44
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
60Tajikistan32.4
61Mauritania32.4
62Philippines32.9
63Burkina Faso33.3
64Central African Rep.34.4
65Comoros34.5
66Venezuela35.6
67Jordan36.0
Africa Avg24.9
World Avg52.5
q=185.

7. Burkina Faso's Modernity and Learning

#burkina_faso #capitalism #charity #corruption #djibouti #economics #education #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #modernity #morals #niger #peace #politics #poverty #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)47
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank47
1S. Africa56.9
2Tunisia70.8
3=Mauritius79.6
...
29Lesotho133.7
30Angola133.8
31Congo, (Brazzaville)135.5
32Burkina Faso136.5
33Liberia136.6
34Benin138.3
35Sudan139.0
36Mali139.1
37Tanzania140.1
Africa Avg120.19
q=53.
Modernity & Learning (2020)47
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank47
1Finland7.1
2Belgium12.9
3Denmark13.6
...
158Lesotho133.7
159Angola133.8
160Congo, (Brazzaville)135.5
161Burkina Faso136.5
162Liberia136.6
163Myanmar (Burma)137.3
164Tuvalu138.2
165Benin138.3
World Avg86.31
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 Denmark48. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone48. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots49.

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)50

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 Europe48, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia48.

For more, see:

Modernity and Education:

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.51

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2952
2Israel4.1152
3Japan3.5852
...
89=Togo0.2253
89=Nigeria0.2254
91Azerbaijan0.2155
92Burkina Faso0.2056
93Vietnam0.1957
94=Panama0.1857
94=Mauritius0.1853
96Oman0.1755
Africa Avg0.36
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
58
Pos.201858
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
162Mali13.1%
163Papua New Guinea12.5%
164Bhutan12.0%
165Guinea11.7%
166Burundi9.3%
167Burkina Faso8.8%
168Niger6.6%
169Chad6.0%
Africa Avg34.4%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
59
Pos.2021
Years59
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
179Mauritania9.4
180Tanzania9.2
181Syria9.2
182Burkina Faso9.1
183Yemen9.1
184Senegal9.0
185Pakistan8.7
186Eritrea8.1
Africa Avg11.0
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
38
Pos.2017
Rank38
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
89Seychelles89
90Iran90
91Antigua & Barbuda91
92Burkina Faso92
93Trinidad & Tobago93
94Malawi94
95Mexico95
96Guinea96
Africa Avg106.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Religiosity
Lower is better
60
Pos.2018
%60
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
97=Philippines91
97=Zambia91
99Afghanistan92
100=Burkina Faso93
100=Tanzania93
100=Indonesia93
103Mali94
104=Pakistan94
Africa Avg87.0
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better61
Pos.200661
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
121=Burundi69
121=Nigeria69
123Chad68
124=Burkina Faso68
124=Somalia68
124=Angola68
127Guinea67
128=Liberia67
Africa Avg70.6
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
62
Pos.201662
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
174=Djibouti12%
175Cambodia11%
176Gabon10%
177Burkina Faso10%
178Solomon Islands10%
179Liberia9%
180Congo, (Brazzaville)8%
181=Togo7%
Africa Avg18.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security
Lower is better
63
Pos.201363
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
...
31Zambia0.76
32Kenya0.77
33Cameroon0.77
34Burkina Faso0.79
35Ivory Coast0.82
36Ethiopia0.84
37Iran0.85
38Laos0.86
Africa Avg1.07
World Avg0.98
Digital Quality of Life
Higher is better
64
Pos.202464
1Germany77.9%
2Finland76.9%
3France73.9%
...
108El Salvador30.0%
109Cambodia29.4%
110Honduras28.5%
111Burkina Faso27.0%
112Tanzania26.9%
113Uganda26.9%
114Tajikistan25.9%
115Zimbabwe24.9%
Africa Avg32.3%
World Avg48.4%
q=121.

National Culture:

World Giving Index
Higher is better
65
Pos.2022
%65
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
67=Cyprus40.0
68Malawi39.0
69=Slovenia39.0
69=Burkina Faso39.0
69=Tajikistan39.0
69=Peru39.0
73Uzbekistan38.0
74=Chile38.0
Africa Avg38.2
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
66
Pos.2022
Points66
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
77Timor-Leste (E. Timor)42.0
78=Vietnam42.0
78=Trinidad & Tobago42.0
78=Burkina Faso42.0
78=Solomon Islands42.0
78=Kuwait42.0
78=Hungary42.0
84Kosovo41.0
Africa Avg32.31
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness
Higher is better
67
Pos.2024
Score67
1Finland7.7
2Denmark7.5
3Iceland7.5
...
117Gambia4.4
118India4.4
119Chad4.4
120Burkina Faso4.4
121Benin4.4
122Somalia4.3
123Mali4.3
124Cambodia4.3
Africa Avg4.42
World Avg5.58
q=147.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
38
Pos.2017
Rank38
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
121Tanzania121
122Zimbabwe122
123Egypt123
124Burkina Faso124
125Dominican Rep.125
126Oman126
127Mozambique127
128Niger128
Africa Avg117.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
38
Pos.2017
Rank38
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
27Canada27
28Trinidad & Tobago28
29Timor-Leste (E. Timor)29
30Burkina Faso30
31Lebanon31
32Barbados32
33Mongolia33
34Spain34
Africa Avg96.7
World Avg82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

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 government68.

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
69
Pos.2023
Score69
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
147=Iran2.80
147=Turkey2.80
149N. Korea2.85
150Burkina Faso2.87
151Ethiopia2.87
152Central African Rep.2.93
153Mali2.96
154Iraq3.01
Africa Avg2.29
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
38
Pos.2017
Rank38
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
43Senegal43
44Switzerland44
45Bolivia45
46Burkina Faso46
47Philippines47
48UK48
49Timor-Leste (E. Timor)49
50Ireland50
Africa Avg83.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
38
Pos.2017
Rank38
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
63Uganda63
64Moldova64
65Mozambique65
66=Burkina Faso66
66=Kyrgyzstan66
68Iran68
69Malawi69
70Latvia70
Africa Avg104.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
70
Pos.2019
Score70
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
121Saudi Arabia5.24
122Ethiopia5.35
123UK5.41
124Burkina Faso5.42
125Myanmar (Burma)5.51
126Mozambique5.54
127Ukraine5.55
128Niger5.60
Africa Avg3.41
World Avg2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better71
Pos.201971
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
165Togo30.50
166Niger30.90
167Guinea31.30
168=Burkina Faso32.00
168=Angola32.00
170Haiti32.20
171Guinea-Bissau32.30
172Lesotho33.10
Africa Avg26.10
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better
72
Pos.2023
%72
1Slovakia24.1%73
2Slovenia24.3%73
3Belarus24.4%74
...
99Dominican Rep.37.0%75
100Solomon Islands37.1%76
101=Chad37.4%75
101=Burkina Faso37.4%73
103Burundi37.5%74
104Sri Lanka37.7%77
105=Israel37.9%73
105=Togo37.9%73
Africa Avg40.7%
World Avg36.5%
q=167.

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

Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better
78
Pos.2018
Severity78
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
...
94Madagascar.453
95Mali.457
96Central African Rep..465
97Ethiopia.489
98Burkina Faso.519
99Chad.533
100S. Sudan.580
101Niger.590
Africa Avg.264
World Avg.154
q=101.

8. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)60
Pos.Lower is better
%60
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
91=Honduras90
91=Cameroon90
91=Rwanda90
91=Liberia90
95Morocco91
96=Guinea-Bissau91
96=Philippines91
96=Zambia91
99Afghanistan92
100=Burkina Faso93
100=Tanzania93
100=Indonesia93
103Mali94
104=Pakistan94
105Ethiopia98
106=Senegal98
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)79
Pos.Higher is better
%79
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
87=Somalia0
87=Sri Lanka0
87=Burundi0
87=Burkina Faso0
87=Brunei0
87=Botswana0
87=Syria0
87=Sierra Leone0
87=Thailand0
87=Togo0
87=Benin0
87=Tunisia0
87=Uganda0
87=Bangladesh0
87=UAE0
87=Azerbaijan0
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below80:

Christian22.5%
Muslim61.6%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion15.4%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated0.4%

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%81.

Links: