Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 7.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso, 1985–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso stood at 7.1%. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 105.9% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso peaked at 7.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 1985.
Burkina Faso ranks 65th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.3% | — |
| 1994 | 2.6% | +98.8% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | +13.6% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | +44.0% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -41.2% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | +40.2% |
| 2014 | 6.5% | +96.4% |
| 2018 | 4.7% | -27.6% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -66.8% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | +23.5% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | +177.5% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | -35.7% |
| 2025 | 7.1% | +105.9% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 7.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.5%, 1.3× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 7.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.6%, 1.3× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.4% | 4.0% | 4 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 1.6% | 6.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 1.9% | 7.1% | 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 unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso was 7.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 1985.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Burkina Faso ranks 65th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.