Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Poverty gap index at $3 a day was 12.5% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Burkina Faso, 1994–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Burkina Faso recorded 12.5% for poverty gap index at $3 a day in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.5% on the previous year and down 54.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty gap index at $3 a day in Burkina Faso peaked at 55.3% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 12.5%, in 2021.
Burkina Faso ranks 12th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 55.3% | — |
| 1998 | 50.6% | -8.5% |
| 2003 | 31.0% | -38.8% |
| 2009 | 27.7% | -10.6% |
| 2014 | 18.6% | -32.8% |
| 2018 | 15.5% | -16.6% |
| 2021 | 12.5% | -19.5% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 12.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 12.5%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 12.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.1%, 1.1× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 53.0% | 50.6% | 55.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 29.3% | 27.7% | 31.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 17.1% | 15.5% | 18.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More poverty & inequality data for Burkina Faso
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.19 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,198 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 18.4 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 18.4% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty gap index at $3 a day in Burkina Faso?
- Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Burkina Faso was 12.5% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty gap index at $3 a day recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 55.3% in 1994.
- What is the lowest poverty gap index at $3 a day recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5% in 2021.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for poverty gap index at $3 a day?
- Burkina Faso ranks 12th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is poverty gap index at $3 a day rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.9%. 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 Poverty gap index at $3 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The poverty gap index is a poverty measure that reflects both the prevalence and the depth of poverty. It is calculated as the share of population in poverty multiplied by the average shortfall from the poverty line (expressed as a % of the poverty line).