Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 28.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
28.9%
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
216th
of 238 countries
All-time high
28.9%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso is 28.9%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso peaked at 28.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Burkina Faso ranks 216th of 238 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.4% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.4% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 1.8% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 1.9% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 2.1% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 2.3% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 2.5% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 2.8% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 3.0% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 3.3% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 4.3% | +28.5% |
| 1951 | 4.4% | +1.6% |
| 1952 | 4.4% | +1.6% |
| 1953 | 4.5% | +1.6% |
| 1954 | 4.6% | +1.6% |
| 1955 | 4.7% | +1.6% |
| 1956 | 4.7% | +1.6% |
| 1957 | 4.8% | +1.6% |
| 1958 | 4.9% | +1.6% |
| 1959 | 5.0% | +1.6% |
| 1960 | 5.0% | +1.6% |
| 1961 | 5.1% | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 5.2% | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 5.3% | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 5.4% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 5.5% | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 5.5% | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 5.6% | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 5.7% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 5.8% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 5.9% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 6.0% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 6.1% | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 6.2% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 6.3% | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 6.4% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 6.5% | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 6.8% | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 7.3% | +6.3% |
| 1979 | 7.8% | +7.3% |
| 1980 | 8.4% | +7.7% |
| 1981 | 9.1% | +7.6% |
| 1982 | 9.7% | +7.2% |
| 1983 | 10.4% | +6.6% |
| 1984 | 10.9% | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 11.5% | +4.7% |
| 1986 | 11.9% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 12.3% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 12.6% | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 12.9% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 13.2% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 13.5% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 13.8% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 14.2% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 14.5% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 15.3% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 15.8% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 16.4% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 17.2% | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 18.0% | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 18.9% | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 19.7% | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 20.6% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 21.3% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 22.0% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 22.6% | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 23.0% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 23.4% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 23.7% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 24.1% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 24.5% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 24.8% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 25.1% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 25.4% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 25.6% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 25.8% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 26.0% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 26.1% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 26.4% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 26.8% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 27.3% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 27.8% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 28.3% | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 28.9% | +2.1% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 28.9% is below the median for low income countries, which is 34.5%, 84% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 28.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 64% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1810s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1820s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1830s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1840s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1850s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1860s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1870s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1890s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1920s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1930s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1950s | 4.6% | 4.3% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.4% | 5.0% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.5% | 5.9% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.0% | 8.4% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.9% | 13.2% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.3% | 18.0% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.3% | 24.1% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.6% | 26.4% | 28.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More reference data data for Burkina Faso
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9232 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 7.39 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 9.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4137 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 9.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 33.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 45.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.25 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Burkina Faso was 28.9% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Burkina Faso ranks 216th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.