Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Burkina Faso, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Burkina Faso is 0.1%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Burkina Faso peaked at 0.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2020.
That places Burkina Faso 162nd out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.2% | — |
| 1991 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | -11.7% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 0.2% | +11.7% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | +21.6% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -33.8% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | +6.3% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 159 Madagascar 0.2% compare
- 160 Ghana 0.1% compare
- 161 Papua New Guinea 0.1% compare
- 163 Kenya 0.1% compare
- 164 Niger 0.1% compare
- 165 Tanzania, United Republic of 0.1% compare
More work & labour data for Burkina Faso
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.016 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0657 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6828 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 21,677 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 21,530 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 25,421 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 24,433 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 49,854 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Burkina Faso?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Burkina Faso was 0.1% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2020.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force?
- Burkina Faso ranks 162nd out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. 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) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 30 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.