Burkina Faso's people belong to two major West African cultural groups: the Gur (Voltaic) and the Mandé. The Voltaic are far more numerous and include the Mossi, who make up about one-half of the population. The Mossi claim descent from warriors who migrated to present-day Burkina Faso and established an empire that lasted more than 800 years. Predominantly farmers, the Mossi are still bound by the traditions of the Mogho Naba, who hold court in Ouagadougou.

Most of Burkina Faso's population is concentrated in the south and center of the country, with a population density sometimes exceeding . This population density, high for Africa, causes annual migrations of hundreds of thousands of Burkinabé to Ivory Coast and Ghana for seasonal agricultural work. About a third of Burkinabé adhere to traditional African religions. The introduction of Islam to Burkina Faso was initially resisted by the Mossi rulers. Christians, predominantly Roman Catholics, are largely concentrated among the urban elite.

Few Burkinabé have had formal education. Schooling is free but not compulsory, and only about 29% of Burkina's primary school-age children receive a basic education. The University of Ouagadougou, founded in 1974, was the country's first institution of higher education. The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso in Bobo-Dioulasso was opened in 1995.

Population Burkina Faso has a young age structure – the result of declining mortality combined with steady high fertility – and continues to experience rapid population growth, which is putting increasing pressure on the country's limited arable land. More than 65% of the population is under the age of 25, and the population is growing at 3% annually.

Mortality rates, especially those of infants and children, have decreased because of improved health care, hygiene, and sanitation, but women continue to have an average of almost 6 children. Even if fertility were substantially reduced, today's large cohort entering their reproductive years would sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future. Only about a third of the population is literate and unemployment is widespread, dampening the economic prospects of Burkina Faso's large working-age population.

The population was 20,903,000 in 2020, compared to only 4,284,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2020 was 44.4%, 53.2% of the population was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.4% was 65 years or older. Total populationPopulation aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 19504 284 00040.757.32.0 19554 517 00041.056.92.2 19604 829 00041.356.32.3 19655 175 00042.255.22.5 19705 625 00043.353.92.8 19756 155 00044.252.83.0 19806 823 00045.651.23.2 19857 728 00046.750.03.3 19908 811 00047.349.53.3 199510 090 00047.149.83.1 200011 608 00046.850.52.8 200513 422 00046.550.92.6 201015 605 00046.251.32.5 201518 111 00045.652.02.4 202020 903 00044.453.22.4

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (1.VII.2021) (Data refer to national projections.): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 10 393 241 11 116 202 21 509 443 100 0–4 1 971 908 1 860 417 3 832 325 17.82 5–9 1 646 122 1 589 070 3 235 192 15.04 10–14 1 367 531 1 390 910 2 758 441 12.82 15–19 1 122 566 1 204 719 2 327 285 10.82 20–24 908 843 1 033 776 1 942 619 9.03 25–29 730 372 884 547 1 614 919 7.51 30–34 588 794 728 172 1 316 966 6.12 35–39 468 316 586 269 1 054 585 4.90 40–44 372 345 466 984 839 329 3.90 45–49 300 835 370 491 671 326 3.12 50–54 248 194 293 790 541 984 2.52 55–59 194 917 224 363 419 280 1.95 60–64 149 409 164 492 313 901 1.46 65–69 112 992 120 551 233 543 1.09 70–74 83 974 84 008 167 982 0.78 75–79 60 706 51 775 112 481 0.52 80+ 65 417 61 868 127 285 0.59Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 4 985 561 4 840 397 9 825 958 45.68 15–64 5 084 591 5 957 603 11 042 194 51.34 65+ 323 089 318 202 641 291 2.98

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events is not complete in Burkina Faso. The website Our World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the United Nations. Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 live births)Life expectancy (in years)19504,214,000184,000119,00065,00043.528.215.35.82170.133.1219514,262,000188,000119,00068,00043.927.916.05.87168.933.3819524,313,000192,000121,00071,00044.327.916.45.93167.833.5519534,364,000195,000121,00074,00044.627.816.95.98166.633.8519544,417,000199,000123,00076,00044.927.717.26.01165.234.1319554,473,000202,000124,00079,00045.127.617.66.06163.834.4519564,531,000206,000125,00081,00045.427.517.86.09162.334.6719574,591,000210,000126,00083,00045.527.418.16.13160.834.9719584,652,000214,000128,00086,00045.827.318.56.17159.335.2619594,715,000218,000128,00089,00046.127.218.96.22157.735.6119604,783,000222,000130,00092,00046.327.119.26.25156.235.8719614,853,000226,000131,00095,00046.526.919.66.29154.836.2419624,924,000231,000132,00099,00046.726.720.06.32153.536.6719634,999,000235,000133,000102,00046.926.520.46.36152.436.9719645,076,000240,000134,000106,00047.226.420.86.42151.237.2519655,158,000245,000135,000110,00047.326.121.26.47150.137.6919665,243,000249,000137,000113,00047.526.021.56.53149.137.9219675,331,000254,000138,000117,00047.625.821.86.59148.238.2919685,422,000260,000139,000120,00047.825.622.16.65147.338.5319695,516,000263,000140,000123,00047.625.422.26.66146.638.8619705,612,000268,000141,000126,00047.625.122.46.69145.439.2419715,708,000272,000142,000129,00047.524.922.66.70144.439.5619725,805,000276,000142,000134,00047.524.523.06.72142.640.0519735,908,000282,000143,000139,00047.624.123.56.77140.440.5519746,018,000288,000141,000147,00047.723.424.36.84137.341.3519756,138,000295,000140,000155,00047.922.725.26.91133.642.3119766,270,000302,000138,000164,00048.122.026.16.95129.643.2519776,417,000312,000137,000175,00048.521.427.27.05125.744.1519786,578,000323,000137,000186,00049.020.728.37.15122.145.0719796,750,000333,000136,000196,00049.220.229.07.19119.045.9019806,933,000341,000137,000204,00049.119.829.47.22116.346.5419817,124,000350,000139,000211,00049.119.529.57.26114.446.8719827,322,000358,000139,000219,00048.919.029.97.25112.147.6019837,531,000367,000140,000227,00048.718.630.17.25110.348.0919847,751,000379,000141,000238,00048.818.230.67.25108.548.6419857,979,000390,000143,000247,00048.917.930.97.24106.748.9519868,208,000398,000146,000252,00048.517.830.77.22104.849.0119878,435,000406,000149,000257,00048.017.730.47.17103.149.0619888,664,000412,000152,000260,00047.517.530.07.11101.749.1319898,895,000419,000155,000265,00047.117.329.77.05100.849.1719909,131,000429,000156,000272,00046.817.129.87.01100.249.4419919,365,000438,000160,000279,00046.717.029.76.97100.049.4519929,599,000447,000163,000284,00046.416.929.56.9499.849.4419939,840,000455,000167,000288,00046.217.029.26.8999.749.21199410,091,000466,000170,000296,00046.116.829.36.8499.349.31199510,353,000478,000173,000305,00046.016.729.46.8198.749.45199610,621,000490,000175,000314,00046.016.529.56.7897.649.61199710,897,000500,000180,000319,00045.816.529.36.7296.849.40199811,201,000510,000180,000331,00045.516.029.56.6695.049.99199911,534,000523,000181,000342,00045.315.729.66.5993.650.33200011,883,000537,000182,000355,00045.215.329.96.5292.150.85200112,250,000549,000185,000364,00044.815.129.76.4390.451.07200212,632,000561,000187,000374,00044.514.829.66.3488.851.27200313,031,000579,000188,000391,00044.514.430.06.2886.751.79200413,446,000595,000188,000407,00044.214.030.36.2284.152.42200513,876,000614,000187,000426,00044.213.530.76.1881.353.09200614,316,000636,000187,000448,00044.413.131.36.1778.653.74200714,757,000652,000187,000466,00044.212.631.56.1175.854.38200815,198,000668,000183,000485,00043.912.031.96.0572.755.34200915,650,000682,000182,000500,00043.511.631.95.9970.255.96201016,117,000697,000182,000516,00043.211.332.05.9467.856.48201116,603,000712,000180,000531,00042.810.832.05.8765.557.13201217,114,000725,000180,000545,00042.310.531.85.7963.657.62201317,636,000736,000182,000554,00041.710.331.45.7061.857.82201418,170,000745,000181,000564,00041.010.031.05.6060.058.36201518,718,000751,000180,000570,00040.19.630.55.4858.358.85201619,275,000751,000180,000572,00039.09.329.75.3256.759.33201719,836,000752,000181,000571,00037.99.128.85.1655.059.54201820,393,000761,000180,000581,00037.38.828.55.0753.560.05201920,962,000720,000180,000540,00034.38.625.84.6858.760.2202021,479,000703,000179,000524,00032.78.324.44.4457.060,5202121,995,000713,000186,000527,00032.48.424.04.3655.360.0202222,509,000721,000183,000538,00032.08.123.94.2753.860.7202323,026,000729,000183,000545,00031.68.023.74.1952.361.12024    31.37.923.44.112025    30.87.823.04.00

Fertility Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):

Year CBR (Total) TFR (Total) CBR (Urban) TFR (Urban) CBR (Rural) TFR (Rural) 1993 43.0 6.9 (6.0) 39.0 5.0 (3.9) 43.0 7.3 (6.5) 1998–99 45.1 6.8 (6.0) 32.6 4.1 (3.4) 47.0 7.3 (6.5) 2003 42.6 6.2 (5.4) 32.4 3.7 (3.2) 44.5 6.9 (6.0) 2010 41.2 6.0 (5.2) 33.3 3.9 (3.3) 43.3 6.7 (5.9)201438.65.533.64.040.26.12017-1835.15.230.93.736.15.6202130.74.4 (4.2)28.43.4 (3.3)31.64.9 (4.6)

Fertility data as of 2013 (DHS Program):

Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49Centre 3.7 6.8 5.3Boucle du Mouhoun 6.8 10.8 7.1Cascades 6.0 10.4 7.0Centre-Est 6.3 8.1 6.6Centre-Nord 6.7 10.7 7.1Centre-Ouest 6.4 10.4 7.1Centre-Sud 5.6 9.4 6.8Est 7.5 15.0 7.9Hauts Bassins 5.2 9.3 5.9Nord 6.2 10.3 7.0Plateau Central 5.8 9.4 6.8Sahel 7.5 12.9 7.6Sud-ouest 6.4 10.8 7.1

Years 1925192619271928192919301931193219331934Total Fertility Rate in Burkina Faso6.116.116.106.106.106.096.096.096.096.08 Years 1935193619371938193919401941194219431944Total Fertility Rate in Burkina Faso6.086.086.076.076.076.066.066.066.066.05 Years 19451946194719481949Total Fertility Rate in Burkina Faso6.056.056.046.046.04

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 63.44 years male: 61.63 years female: 65.31 years (2022 est.)

Total population: 63.06 years Male: 61.28 years Female: 64.89 years (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mossi 53.7%, Fulani (Peuhl) 6.8%, Gurunsi 5.9%, Bissa 5.4%, Gurma 5.2%, Bobo 3.4%, Senufo 2.2%, Bissa 1.5%, Lobi 1.5%, Tuareg/Bella 0.1%, other 12.8%, foreign 0.7% (2021 est.)

Languages

French(working), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population

Religion

Islam 61.5%, Roman Catholic 23.3%, Traditional/Animist 7.8%, Protestant 6.5%, Other/No Answer 0.2%, None 0.7% (2010 est.)

References

Attribution:

External links Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie