Share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Share of population living in rural areas was 50.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso stood at 50.6%.
That represents a change of down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso peaked at 75.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 50.2%, in 2015.
Burkina Faso ranks 28th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 75.2% | — |
| 1955 | 74.9% | -0.3% |
| 1960 | 74.5% | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 73.9% | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 73.0% | -1.2% |
| 1975 | 72.0% | -1.4% |
| 1980 | 69.0% | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 65.6% | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 63.0% | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 58.8% | -6.7% |
| 2000 | 54.9% | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 52.6% | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 51.1% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 50.2% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 50.6% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 75.1% | 74.9% | 75.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 74.2% | 73.9% | 74.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 72.5% | 72.0% | 73.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 67.3% | 65.6% | 69.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 60.9% | 58.8% | 63.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 53.7% | 52.6% | 54.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 50.6% | 50.2% | 51.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 50.6% | 50.6% | 50.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 25 Papua New Guinea 53.7% compare
- 26 Mali 52.9% compare
- 27 Timor-Leste 50.6% compare
- 29 Niger 50.6% compare
- 30 Mozambique 50.0% compare
- 31 Slovenia 49.7% compare
More population data for Burkina Faso
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2492 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 40,542 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.35 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4791 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Population density 182.22 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.29 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso was 50.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 75.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.2% in 2015.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Burkina Faso ranks 28th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.