Female employment rate in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Female employment rate was 56.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Female employment rate in Burkina Faso, 1985–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female employment rate in Burkina Faso is 56.8%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Burkina Faso peaked at 72.8% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 36.2%, in 2018.
Burkina Faso ranks 52nd of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Female employment rate in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 72.8% | — |
| 1994 | 72.0% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 59.0% | -18.0% |
| 2014 | 52.8% | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 36.2% | -31.5% |
| 2019 | 71.6% | +97.8% |
| 2022 | 64.7% | -9.6% |
| 2023 | 39.4% | -39.1% |
| 2024 | 61.7% | +56.6% |
| 2025 | 56.8% | -7.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 72.8% | 72.8% | 72.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 72.0% | 72.0% | 72.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 59.0% | 59.0% | 59.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 53.5% | 36.2% | 71.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 55.7% | 39.4% | 64.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
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 female employment rate in Burkina Faso?
- Female employment rate in Burkina Faso was 56.8% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 72.8% in 1985.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.2% in 2018.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for female employment rate?
- Burkina Faso ranks 52nd out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.