Agricultural land in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Agricultural land was 53.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Burkina Faso, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
Burkina Faso recorded 53.4% for agricultural land in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Burkina Faso peaked at 53.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 32.9%, in 1961.
Burkina Faso ranks 55th of 210 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 32.9% | — |
| 1962 | 32.9% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 32.9% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 33.0% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 33.0% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 33.0% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 33.0% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 33.1% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 33.1% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 33.1% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 33.6% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 34.0% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 34.5% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 35.0% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 35.5% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 35.9% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 36.4% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 36.8% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 37.3% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 37.7% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 38.2% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 38.7% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 39.1% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 39.6% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 40.0% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 40.5% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 41.0% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 41.5% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 41.9% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 42.4% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 42.9% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 43.4% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 43.9% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 44.4% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 44.9% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 45.4% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 46.0% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 46.8% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 47.3% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 48.1% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 48.7% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 49.3% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 49.8% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 50.4% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 51.2% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 51.7% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 52.2% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 52.7% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 53.3% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 53.4% | +0.1% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 53.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 53.4%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 53.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46.4%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 33.0% | 32.9% | 33.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 33.0% | 33.0% | 33.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.1% | 33.0% | 35.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.4% | 36.4% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.2% | 41.0% | 45.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.9% | 46.0% | 51.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.9% | 52.2% | 53.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 52 Paraguay 54.1% compare
- 53 Kyrgyzstan 54.0% compare
- 54 Netherlands 53.5% compare
- 56 Mozambique 52.8% compare
- 57 France 52.5% compare
- 58 Luxembourg 51.7% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Burkina Faso
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1994 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 228.86 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7108 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 19.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 19.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 6.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Burkina Faso?
- Agricultural land in Burkina Faso was 53.4% in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 53.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.9% in 1961.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for agricultural land?
- Burkina Faso ranks 55th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Agricultural land (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.