Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Burkina Faso, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Burkina Faso is 0.1%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Burkina Faso peaked at 0.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1985.
Burkina Faso ranks 160th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More reference data data for Burkina Faso
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.53 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.4817 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.0198 °C (2026)
- Consumer price index 136.48 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.47 °C (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.3271 °C (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Free country 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 5 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Burkina Faso?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Burkina Faso was 0.1% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1% in 2001.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1985.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Burkina Faso ranks 160th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.