Number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 12.94 million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
12.94 million people
Change on year
up 19.5%
World rank
54th
of 120 countries
All-time high
12.94 million people
in 2021
All-time low
1.26 million people
in 1994
Years of data
7
1994–2021

Number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso, 1994–2021

2.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M1994200720211994: 1.3M people1998: 1.5M people2003: 4.0M people2009: 5.2M people2014: 7.5M people2018: 10.8M people2021: 12.9M people

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2021, number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso stood at 12.94 million people. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is up 19.5% on the previous year and up 151.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso peaked at 12.94 million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.26 million people, in 1994.

That places Burkina Faso 54th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

Number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso, year by year

Annual values for Number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso, 1994 to 2021.
Year people Change
1994 1.26 million people
1998 1.52 million people +21.1%
2003 3.97 million people +160.7%
2009 5.16 million people +29.8%
2014 7.52 million people +45.9%
2018 10.83 million people +44.0%
2021 12.94 million people +19.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.39 million people 1.26 million people 1.52 million people 2
2000s 4.56 million people 3.97 million people 5.16 million people 2
2010s 9.18 million people 7.52 million people 10.83 million people 2
2020s 12.94 million people 12.94 million people 12.94 million people 1

Countries ranked near Burkina Faso

  1. 51 Guatemala 16.37 million people compare
  2. 52 Mali 14.55 million people compare
  3. 53 Senegal 14.39 million people compare
  4. 55 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 12.16 million people compare
  5. 56 Tunisia 11.99 million people compare
  6. 57 Belgium 11.77 million people compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Burkina Faso

All data for Burkina Faso →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso?
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso was 12.94 million people in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Burkina Faso?
The highest recorded value was 12.94 million people in 2021.
What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Burkina Faso?
The lowest recorded value was 1.26 million people in 1994.
How does Burkina Faso rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
Burkina Faso ranks 54th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
Over the last ten years it is up 151.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of people living in extreme poverty in Burkina Faso. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/above-or-below-extreme-poverty-line-world-bank/burkina-faso/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of people living in extreme poverty
Unit
people
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.