Burkina Faso

Despite having a large and rapidly growing population (24 million), Burkina Faso remains predominantly rural, with less than 28% of its population living in urban areas. This low urbanization rate (27.787%) contrasts sharply with many developing nations and suggests that the majority of the population lacks access to concentrated infrastructure and services typically found in cities.

Despite being a low-income country facing high resource demands, Burkina Faso maintains a relatively high percentage of forest area, covering 22.173% of its land. This suggests potential success in conservation efforts or a slower rate of deforestation compared to some regional peers, which is noteworthy given the pressure on land resources.

A major infrastructural challenge is the extremely low rate of access to electricity, standing at only 21.70%. This lack of reliable power severely constrains industrial development, limits educational opportunities, and hinders the operation of modern health facilities across the majority of the country.

While Burkina Faso achieved a modest GDP growth of 3.00% in 2023, this growth is barely keeping pace with a low inflation rate of 0.743%. However, given the extremely low GDP per capita ($873.48), this growth is insufficient to significantly lift the population out of poverty, especially with an unemployment rate of 5.348%.