Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 31.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso is 31.4%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso peaked at 54.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 31.4%, in 2022.
That places Burkina Faso 54th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 54.5% | — |
| 1992 | 54.5% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 54.3% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 54.2% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 53.7% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 52.8% | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 52.1% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 51.3% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 50.4% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 50.1% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 49.1% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 48.4% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 47.3% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 46.5% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 45.3% | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 44.3% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 43.6% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 42.7% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 42.2% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 41.0% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 40.0% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 39.0% | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 38.1% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 37.4% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 36.7% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 35.8% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 34.9% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 33.9% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 33.0% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 33.1% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 32.9% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 31.4% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 31.4% | +0.0% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 31.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 55.1%, 57% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 31.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 73% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 53.1% | 50.4% | 54.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 46.0% | 42.2% | 50.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.0% | 33.0% | 41.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.2% | 31.4% | 33.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
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 share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Burkina Faso was 31.4% in 2023, according to ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 54.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.4% in 2022.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Burkina Faso ranks 54th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of people employed in agriculture includes working-age people with a job in farming, forestry, fishing, and related activities, including those temporarily absent.