The Human Truth Foundation

Burkina Faso

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

#burkina_faso

Burkina FasoFlag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index148th 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
1Denmark28.1
2Norway29.9
3Sweden31.0
...
145Timor-Leste (E. Timor)110.3
146Tanzania110.9
147Micronesia111.1
148Burkina Faso111.2
149Madagascar112.0
150Uganda112.3
151Cambodia112.4
152Somaliland112.4
Africa Avg115.3
World Avg89.4
q=200.

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, once you take mortality into account13. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.14

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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
15
Pos.202215
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
16
Pos.2016
Per 10016
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
3=Burkina Faso04.7
5=Sierra Leone04.8
5=Zambia04.8
7=Eritrea04.9
7=Gambia04.9
9=Angola05.0
9=Afghanistan05.0
9=Zimbabwe05.0
12=Nigeria05.1
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.2017
%17
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.
Emigrants18
Pos.2010
%18
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

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Africa (2025)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Cape Verde66.3
2S. Africa70.7
3Mauritius74.9
4Seychelles82.0
5Namibia85.9
6Ghana88.7
7Botswana90.0
8Lesotho91.9
9Burkina Faso93.3
10Senegal95.2
11Madagascar98.8
12Rwanda102.5
13Mali102.9
Africa Avg116.66
q=54.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Sweden7.8
2Netherlands8.7
3Denmark8.8
...
98Dominica92.0
99Nepal92.7
100Nicaragua93.3
101Burkina Faso93.3
102Senegal95.2
103Singapore95.8
104Kosovo96.1
105Venezuela96.2
World Avg89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark20. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia20.

31 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 Europe20, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia20.

For more, see:

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#burkina_faso #freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics #slavery

Press Freedom
Higher is better
21
Pos.202521
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. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.
Slavery in the 2020s
Lower is better
22
Pos.Slavery in the 2020s
Per 100022
1=Switzerland0.50
1=Norway0.50
3=Germany0.60
...
43=Sierra Leone3.40
44S. Korea3.50
45Swaziland3.60
46Burkina Faso3.70
47=Portugal3.80
47=Israel3.80
49=Guinea4.00
49=Sudan4.00
Africa Avg6.90
World Avg7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better
23
Pos.2014
Rank23
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
...
168=Cambodia6.0
168=Rwanda6.0
168=Djibouti6.0
168=Burkina Faso6.0
168=Cameroon6.0
173=Vietnam6.5
173=Bahrain6.5
173=Venezuela6.5
Africa Avg4.8
World Avg3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.
Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
24
Pos.2009
Treaties24
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
41=Iceland20
41=Romania20
41=Bulgaria20
41=Burkina Faso20
41=Norway20
41=Portugal20
41=Poland20
41=S. Korea20
Africa Avg14.8
World Avg15.1
q=194.
HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
25
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty25
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)26

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #prejudice #women

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 squarely the cause of this.

See:

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
27
Pos.202227
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

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
28
Pos.2022
%28
1Sweden31.829
2New Zealand34.430
3Australia37.030
...
63Palestine98.229
64Kuwait98.329
65Jordan98.530
66Burkina Faso98.631
67Algeria98.729
68Zimbabwe98.730
69Yemen98.729
70Azerbaijan98.729
Africa Avg98.10
World Avg83.93
q=88.
Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Year Women Can Vote
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
117=Hungary1958
117=Chad1958
117=Nigeria1958
117=Burkina Faso1958
117=Guinea1958
122=Madagascar1959
122=Tunisia1959
122=Tanzania1959
Africa Avg1961
World Avg1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s
Higher is better
32
Pos.LGBT Equality in the 2020s
Score32
1=Germany4.88
1=Spain4.88
3Portugal4.81
...
118Turkey-0.83
119Bulgaria-0.85
120Philippines-1.06
121Burkina Faso-1.15
122Kyrgyzstan-1.18
123Haiti-1.27
124Gabon-1.38
125Vatican City-1.45
Africa Avg-3.78
World Avg-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.
In Burkina Faso, homosexuality was historically legal; and did not inherit the prejudiced sodomy laws that most other African nations had imposed on them. Homosexual relations had an equal age of consent since 1996. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Burkina Faso had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination. As of Sep 2025, the military government have criminalized all same-sex sexual acts and "promotion" of homosexuality, punishable by 5 years' prison and fines. Same-sex marriage and adoption remain banned.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
33
Pos.202133
1=Belgium1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
...
20=USA1.8
20=Slovenia1.8
20=Palau1.8
20=Burkina Faso1.8
20=Albania1.8
20=Kosovo1.8
20=S. Korea1.8
27=Barbados2.0
Africa Avg3.1
World Avg3.0
q=196.

5. Burkina Faso's Health

#health

Compared to Africa (2025)34
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank34
1Mauritius72.2
2Tunisia73.9
3Seychelles78.0
...
35Sudan136.1
36Gabon136.6
37Cameroon137.0
38Burkina Faso138.2
39Congo, DR139.9
40Madagascar140.1
41Sierra Leone141.1
42Liberia141.6
43Niger142.5
Africa Avg127.77
q=54.
Health (2025)34
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank34
1Monaco10.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Japan40.8
...
185Gabon136.6
186Kiribati136.8
187Cameroon137.0
188Burkina Faso138.2
189Yemen138.8
190Congo, DR139.9
191Madagascar140.1
192Sierra Leone141.1
World Avg97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan35. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan35.

42 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, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean35, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia35.

For more, see:

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #burkina_faso #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Burkina Faso is a pretty unhealthy country. Burkina Faso comes in the best 20 when it comes to the prevalence of overweight adults36 (the lowest in Africa). It does better than average in terms of its smoking rate37 and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s38. However Burkina Faso performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average in terms of its suicide rate39, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-201540 (still high for Africa), its alcohol consumption rate41 and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance42. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its adolescent birth rate43, its average life expectancy11, childhood mortality in the 2020s44 and in its fertility rate15. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during 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 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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
41
Pos.2016
Per Capita41
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
119=Montenegro8.0
120=Malta8.1
120=Macedonia8.1
122=Burkina Faso8.2
122=St Vincent & Grenadines8.2
122=Dominica8.2
125Thailand8.3
126=Ivory Coast8.4
Africa Avg4.8
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
15
Pos.202215
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.
Smoking in the 2020s
Lower is better
37
Pos.Smoking in the 2020s
%37
1Nigeria3.3%
2Ghana3.4%
3Panama5.2%
...
54Iran13.3%
55St Lucia13.9%
56Namibia14.2%
57=Burkina Faso14.3%
57=Norway14.3%
57=UK14.3%
60Rwanda14.3%
61Zambia14.6%
Africa Avg12.4%
World Avg20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.
Suicide Rate in the 2010s
Lower is better
39
Pos.Suicide Rate in the 2010s
Per 100k39
1=Jordan1.00
1=Sao Tome & Principe1.00
1=Antigua & Barbuda1.00
...
107Cameroon8.31
108El Salvador8.47
109UK8.51
110Burkina Faso8.77
111Namibia8.78
112Argentina8.95
113Singapore9.08
114=China9.15
Africa Avg7.70
World Avg9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
42
Pos.2017
Rank42
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
36
Pos.1976
%36
1Bangladesh4.7
2Vietnam5.1
3Nepal5.4
...
8=Bhutan6.3
8=Afghanistan6.3
10Indonesia6.6
11Burkina Faso6.8
12Maldives7.2
13=Sri Lanka7.5
13=Ethiopia7.5
15Myanmar7.6
Africa Avg13.4
World Avg27.1
q=191.
Adult Obesity
Lower is better
45
Pos.2022
%45
1Vietnam2.1%
2Timor-Leste (E. Timor)2.2%
3Ethiopia2.4%
...
11Niger5.3%
12Chad5.7%
13Congo, DR5.8%
14Burkina Faso6.1%
15Malawi6.4%
16Sierra Leone6.5%
17Nepal6.6%
18S. Korea6.7%
Africa Avg13.7%
World Avg24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
43
Pos.2022
Per 100043
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s)
Higher is better
38
Pos.Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s)
Avg %38
1=Luxembourg99.0
1=Oman99.0
1=Niue99.0
...
95Germany93.7
96Saba93.3
97Ireland93.3
98=Burkina Faso93.0
98=Cape Verde93.0
98=Netherlands93.0
101Bulgaria92.8
102=Uganda92.6
Africa Avg82.9
World Avg88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.
7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015)
Higher is better
40
Pos.2015
Avg %40
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.
Infant Mortality (2020s)
Lower is better44
Pos.Infant Mortality (2020s)
Per 100044
1San Marino2.11
2Finland2.59
3Luxembourg2.60
...
183Equatorial Guinea95.42
184Congo, DR97.76
185Benin98.27
186Burkina Faso103.67
187Guinea114.22
188Mali117.79
189Nigeria126.78
190Niger127.65
Africa Avg71.63
World Avg32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

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)46
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank46
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 Avg78.58
q=53.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)46
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank46
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.

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"47. 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:

Burkina Faso is positioned 40th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Burkina Faso does better than average in energy to GDP efficiency48, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population49, reducing annual meat consumption per person50 (but bad for Africa) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Burkina Faso doesn't do so well in other areas. Burkina Faso does worse than average for its environmental performance51 and in its forested percent change 2000-202052.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
52
Pos.Total52
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
51
Pos.201851
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
48
Pos.2022
Avg48
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.
International Accords on the Environment
Higher is better
Pos.International Accords on the Environment
Avg Rate
1Sweden83%
2Canada82%
3Norway81%
...
89Bahamas60%
90Malawi60%
91Monaco60%
92Burkina Faso59%
93Benin59%
94Ireland59%
95Colombia58%
96Turkmenistan58%
Africa Avg56.4%
World Avg57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.
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
49
Pos.2011
%49
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
50
Pos.2021
kg50
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. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Burkina Faso's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)53
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank53
1S. Africa63.3
2Seychelles63.4
3Tunisia68.7
...
28Sao Tome & Principe129.2
29Equatorial Guinea130.2
30Mali130.7
31Burkina Faso130.7
32Madagascar131.6
33Lesotho131.8
34Tanzania132.1
35Rwanda135.7
36Guinea-Bissau136.6
Africa Avg124.71
q=54.
Modernity & Learning (2025)53
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank53
1Finland6.1
2Iceland8.1
3Denmark8.8
...
160Vanuatu129.6
161Equatorial Guinea130.2
162Mali130.7
163Burkina Faso130.7
164Madagascar131.6
165Lesotho131.8
166Tanzania132.1
167Rwanda135.7
World Avg84.96
q=197.

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, Iceland and Denmark54. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia54. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots55.

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)56

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, 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 Europe54, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia54.

For more, see:

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2957
2Israel4.1157
3Japan3.5857
...
89=Togo0.2258
89=Nigeria0.2259
91Azerbaijan0.2160
92Burkina Faso0.2061
93Vietnam0.1962
94=Panama0.1862
94=Mauritius0.1858
96=Oman0.1760
Africa Avg0.36
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
42
Pos.2017
Rank42
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
89Seychelles89
90Iran90
91Antigua & Barbuda91
92Burkina Faso92
93Trinidad & Tobago93
94Malawi94
95Mexico95
96Guinea96
Africa Avg106.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Metric System Adoption Rate
Higher is better
63
Pos.2025
%63
1=Slovakia100
1=Poland100
1=Portugal100
...
153=Saudi Arabia90
153=Antigua & Barbuda90
153=Trinidad & Tobago90
153=Burkina Faso90
153=Burundi90
153=Benin90
153=Cambodia90
153=Mauritania90
Africa Avg90
World Avg92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Burkina Faso officially adopted metric in 196064. Progression:

Religiosity
Lower is better
65
Pos.2018
%65
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
97=Philippines91
97=Zambia91
99Afghanistan92
100=Burkina Faso93
100=Tanzania93
100=Indonesia93
103=Mali94
103=Pakistan94
Africa Avg87.0
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better66
Pos.200666
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
121=Burundi69
121=Nigeria69
123=Chad68
123=Burkina Faso68
123=Somalia68
123=Angola68
127=Guinea67
127=Liberia67
Africa Avg70.6
World Avg85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#burkina_faso #djibouti #education #niger

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.67

Secondary Education
Higher is better
68
Pos.201868
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
69
Pos.2021
Years69
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #modernity #technology #the_internet

Internet Users (2020s)
Higher is better
Pos.Internet Users (2020s)
1=Iceland99%
1=Kuwait99%
1=UAE99%
...
181Ethiopia16%
182Madagascar16%
183Yemen14%
184Burkina Faso14%
185Chad12%
186Burundi11%
187Uganda11%
188S. Sudan9%
Africa Avg41.0%
World Avg67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.
IT Security
Lower is better
70
Pos.201370
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
71
Pos.202471
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.

8. Burkina Faso's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to Africa (2025)72
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank72
1Mauritius51.4
2Seychelles66.9
3Tunisia76.2
...
18Tanzania101.9
19Lesotho103.7
20Sierra Leone104.3
21Burkina Faso105.2
22Gabon105.9
23Uganda105.9
24Guinea106.5
25Ivory Coast107.1
26Togo108.3
Africa Avg110.07
q=54.
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)72
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank72
1Denmark11.6
2Finland13.4
3Netherlands13.6
...
138Sierra Leone104.3
139Bangladesh104.5
140Iran104.6
141Burkina Faso105.2
142Gabon105.9
143Uganda105.9
144Laos106.5
145Guinea106.5
World Avg81.27
q=187.

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 (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

World Giving Index
Higher is better
73
Pos.2022
%73
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
67=Cyprus40.0
68=Malawi39.0
68=Slovenia39.0
68=Burkina Faso39.0
68=Tajikistan39.0
68=Peru39.0
73=Uzbekistan38.0
73=Chile38.0
Africa Avg38.2
World Avg39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.
Corruption
Higher is better
74
Pos.2022
Points74
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
77=Timor-Leste (E. Timor)42.0
77=Vietnam42.0
77=Trinidad & Tobago42.0
77=Burkina Faso42.0
77=Solomon Islands42.0
77=Kuwait42.0
77=Hungary42.0
84Kosovo41.0
Africa Avg32.31
World Avg42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Happiness
Higher is better
75
Pos.2024
Score75
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. Also scored for 2010s.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
42
Pos.2017
Rank42
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
121Tanzania121
122Zimbabwe122
123Egypt123
124Burkina Faso124
125Dominican Rep.125
126Oman126
127Mozambique127
128Niger128
Africa Avg117.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Passport Reach (2020s)
Higher is better76
Pos.Passport Reach (2020s)
Q76
1Singapore192.2
2Japan192.0
3S. Korea190.7
...
140Rwanda62.2
141Sao Tome & Principe60.5
142Uzbekistan59.0
143=Burkina Faso58.8
143=India58.8
143=Mauritania58.8
146Tajikistan58.5
147Gabon58.0
Africa Avg62.9
World Avg108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
42
Pos.2017
Rank42
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.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#burkina_faso #extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

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 government77.

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
78
Pos.2023
Score78
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. Also scored for 2010s.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
42
Pos.2017
Rank42
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
42
Pos.2017
Rank42
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
79
Pos.2019
Score79
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
121Saudi Arabia5.24
122Ethiopia5.35
123UK5.41
124Burkina Faso5.42
125Myanmar5.51
126Mozambique5.54
127Ukraine5.55
128Niger5.60
Africa Avg3.41
World Avg2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s)
Lower is better
80
Pos.Poverty (2020s)
%80
1Malaysia0.01%
2Bhutan0.01%
3Cyprus0.02%
...
95Chad39.48%
96Guinea-Bissau39.86%
97Nigeria41.82%
98Burkina Faso42.06%
99Kenya45.92%
100Niger60.49%
101Madagascar69.17%
102Central African Rep.71.62%
Africa Avg41.51%
World Avg11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.
Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better
81
Pos.201981
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
82
Pos.2023
%82
1Slovakia24.1%83
2Slovenia24.3%83
3Belarus24.4%84
...
99Dominican Rep.37.0%85
100Solomon Islands37.1%86
101=Chad37.4%85
101=Burkina Faso37.4%83
103Burundi37.5%84
104Sri Lanka37.7%87
105=Israel37.9%83
105=Togo37.9%83
Africa Avg40.7%
World Avg36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

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

Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better
88
Pos.2018
Severity88
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.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)65
Pos.Lower is better
%65
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
91=Honduras90
91=Cameroon90
91=Rwanda90
91=Liberia90
95=Morocco91
95=Guinea-Bissau91
95=Philippines91
95=Zambia91
99Afghanistan92
100=Burkina Faso93
100=Tanzania93
100=Indonesia93
103=Mali94
103=Pakistan94
105=Ethiopia98
105=Senegal98
World Avg54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:89:

20102020
Muslim64.3%67.4%
Christian26.6%28%
Other8.45%4.01%
Unaffiliated0.624%0.576%
Buddhist<0.1%<0.1%
Hindu<0.1%<0.1%
JewishNoneNone

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%90.

Links: