Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 23.39 people per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
23.39 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
156th
of 215 countries
All-time high
23.39 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
0.9067 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Burkina Faso, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Burkina Faso is 23.39 people per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 44.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Burkina Faso peaked at 23.39 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.9067 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Burkina Faso 156th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.9067 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.9348 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 0.9641 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 0.9948 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 1.03 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 1.06 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1967 | 1.1 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1968 | 1.13 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 1.17 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 1.21 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 1.25 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 1.29 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1973 | 1.34 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 1.39 people per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 1.43 people per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 1.5 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1977 | 1.61 people per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1978 | 1.75 people per square kilometre | +9.0% |
| 1979 | 1.93 people per square kilometre | +10.1% |
| 1980 | 2.14 people per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1981 | 2.36 people per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1982 | 2.61 people per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 1983 | 2.86 people per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 1984 | 3.11 people per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 1985 | 3.35 people per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1986 | 3.58 people per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1987 | 3.79 people per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 4 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 4.22 people per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1990 | 4.43 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 4.65 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 4.87 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 5.11 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 5.37 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 5.65 people per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 5.97 people per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1997 | 6.32 people per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1998 | 6.76 people per square kilometre | +6.9% |
| 1999 | 7.27 people per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 7.85 people per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 2001 | 8.47 people per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 9.14 people per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 9.83 people per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 10.53 people per square kilometre | +7.1% |
| 2005 | 11.21 people per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 2006 | 11.85 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 12.44 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 13.03 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 13.63 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 14.26 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 14.9 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 15.57 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 16.24 people per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 16.91 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 17.58 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 18.25 people per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 18.89 people per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 19.48 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 20.01 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 20.69 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 21.55 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 22.44 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 23.39 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 23.39 people per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 23.39 people per square kilometre, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 23.39 people per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.41 people per square kilometre, 82% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.03 people per square kilometre | 0.9067 people per square kilometre | 1.17 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.47 people per square kilometre | 1.21 people per square kilometre | 1.93 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2 people per square kilometre | 2.14 people per square kilometre | 4.22 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.64 people per square kilometre | 4.43 people per square kilometre | 7.27 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.8 people per square kilometre | 7.85 people per square kilometre | 13.63 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.21 people per square kilometre | 14.26 people per square kilometre | 20.01 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.02 people per square kilometre | 20.69 people per square kilometre | 23.39 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 153 Ethiopia 26.3 people per square kilometre compare
- 154 Myanmar 25.2 people per square kilometre compare
- 155 Chile 23.5 people per square kilometre compare
- 157 Sweden 22.96 people per square kilometre compare
- 158 Estonia 22.61 people per square kilometre compare
- 159 Peru 22.42 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Burkina Faso
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 40,542 Persons (2050)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2492 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.76 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.29 million people (2100)
- Population density 182.22 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4791 % change on previous year (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Burkina Faso?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Burkina Faso was 23.39 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 23.39 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9067 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Burkina Faso ranks 156th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.