Population density in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Population density was 84.16 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
84.16 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
118th
of 216 countries
All-time high
84.16 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
17.72 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Burkina Faso, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Burkina Faso recorded 84.16 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Burkina Faso peaked at 84.16 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.72 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Burkina Faso ranks 118th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 17.72 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 17.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 18.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 18.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 18.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 19.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 19.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 19.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 20.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 20.51 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 20.86 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 21.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 21.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 22.02 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 22.47 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 22.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 23.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 24.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 24.72 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 25.39 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 26.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 26.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 27.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 28.41 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 29.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 30.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 30.91 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 31.75 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 32.61 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 33.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 34.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 35.19 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 36.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 37.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 38.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 39.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 41.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 42.31 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 43.59 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 44.94 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 46.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 47.82 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 49.34 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 50.92 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 52.54 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 54.15 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 55.77 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 57.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 59.12 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 60.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 62.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 64.68 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 66.63 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 68.63 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 70.67 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 72.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 74.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 76.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 78.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 80.39 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 82.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 84.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.88 people per sq. km of land area | 17.72 people per sq. km of land area | 20.15 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 22.4 people per sq. km of land area | 20.51 people per sq. km of land area | 24.72 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.89 people per sq. km of land area | 25.39 people per sq. km of land area | 32.61 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.64 people per sq. km of land area | 33.48 people per sq. km of land area | 42.31 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.28 people per sq. km of land area | 43.59 people per sq. km of land area | 57.42 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.74 people per sq. km of land area | 59.12 people per sq. km of land area | 76.62 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.33 people per sq. km of land area | 78.5 people per sq. km of land area | 84.16 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 115 Brunei Darussalam 87.09 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 116 Republic of Moldova 85.44 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 117 Morocco 84.5 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 119 Myanmar 82.94 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 120 Romania 82.85 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 121 French Polynesia 80.99 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Burkina Faso
- Population in the largest city 50.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 37.32 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1462 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 3.52 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 4.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 11.71 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.52 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 48.39 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Burkina Faso?
- Population density in Burkina Faso was 84.16 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 84.16 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.72 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for population density?
- Burkina Faso ranks 118th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.