--- title: Burkina Faso — English Wikipedia · full text with trees · page 5 description: Wikipedia's «Burkina Faso», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/page/5/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Burkina Faso # Burkina Faso · page 5 From Wikipedia, [«Burkina Faso»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/) … [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/page/4/) **5** [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/page/6/) The [total fertility rate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_fertility_rate) of Burkina Faso was estimated to be 4.02 children born per woman in 2024, the 23rd highest in the world.[\[4\]](../../page/6/#ref-4 "note 4")[389](../../389/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2009 the [U.S. Department of State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Department_of_State)'s Trafficking in Persons Report reported that [slavery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_modern_Africa) in Burkina Faso continued to exist and that Burkinabè children were often the victims.[\[191\]](../../page/6/#ref-191 "note 191")[390](../../390/ "tree and pragmatics") Slavery in the [Sahel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel) states in general, is an entrenched institution with a long history that dates back to the [trans-Saharan slave trade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Saharan_slave_trade).[\[192\]](../../page/6/#ref-192 "note 192")[391](../../391/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2018, an estimated 82,000 people in the country were living under "modern slavery" according to the Global Slavery Index.[\[193\]](../../page/6/#ref-193 "note 193")[392](../../392/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Ethnic groups Main article: [Ethnic groups in Burkina Faso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Burkina_Faso) Burkina Faso's 23 million people belong to two major West African ethnic cultural groups: the [Voltaic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gur_languages) and the [Mandé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandé_peoples) (whose common language is [Dioula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioula_language)).[393](../../393/ "tree and pragmatics") The Voltaic [Mossi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi_people) make up about one-half of the population.[394](../../394/ "tree and pragmatics") The Mossi claim descent from warriors who migrated to present-day Burkina Faso from [northern Ghana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Region_%28Ghana%29) around 1100 AD.[395](../../395/ "tree and pragmatics") They established an empire that lasted more than 800 years.[396](../../396/ "tree and pragmatics") Predominantly farmers, the Mossi kingdom is led by the [Mogho Naba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogho_Naba), whose court is in Ouagadougou.[\[190\]](../../page/6/#ref-190 "note 190")[397](../../397/ "tree and pragmatics") There are approximately 5,000 Europeans.[\[194\]](../../page/6/#ref-194 "note 194")[398](../../398/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Languages Further information: [Languages of Burkina Faso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Burkina_Faso) Burkina Faso is a [multilingual](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multilingual) country.[399](../../399/ "tree and pragmatics") The [working languages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_language) are [French](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language), which was introduced during the colonial period, and [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language).[\[17\]](../../page/6/#ref-17 "note 17")[400](../../400/ "tree and pragmatics") In December 2023, due to deteriorating relations between Burkina Faso and the [French](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language) government, the Burkina Faso government announced it was elevating national languages to the status of official languages.[401](../../401/ "tree and pragmatics") French was dropped as an official language, becoming a [working language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_language) with [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language) instead.[\[195\]](../../page/6/#ref-195 "note 195")[402](../../402/ "tree and pragmatics") Altogether, an estimated 69 languages are spoken in the country,[\[196\]](../../page/6/#ref-196 "note 196") of which about 60 languages are [indigenous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_language).[403](../../403/ "tree and pragmatics") The Mooré language is the most spoken language in Burkina Faso, spoken by about half the population, mainly in the central region around the capital, Ouagadougou.[404](../../404/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the 2006 census, the languages spoken natively in Burkina Faso were [Mooré](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooré) by 40.5% of the population, [Fula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_language) by 9.3%, [Gourmanché](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmanché_language) by 6.1%, [Bambara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambara_language) by 4.9%, [Bissa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bissa_language) by 3.2%, [Bwamu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bwamu_language) by 2.1%, [Dagara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagara_language) by 2%, [San](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samo_language_%28Burkina%29) by 1.9%, [Lobiri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobiri_language) with 1.8%, [Lyélé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyélé_language) with 1.7%, [Bobo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobo_language) and [Sénoufo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sénoufo_language) with 1.4% each, [Nuni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuni_language) by 1.2%, [Dafing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dafing_language) by 1.1%, [Tamasheq](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamasheq_language) by 1%, [Kassem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasena_language) by 0.7%, [Gouin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouin_language) by 0.4%, [Dogon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon_language), [Songhai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_language), and [Gourounsi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourounsi_language) by 0.3% each, Ko, [Koussassé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koussassé_language), [Sembla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sembla_language), and [Siamou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamou_language) by 0.1% each, other national languages by 5%, other African languages by 0.2%, French (an official language at the time) by 1.3%, and other non-indigenous languages by 0.1%.[\[197\]](../../page/6/#ref-197 "note 197")[405](../../405/ "tree and pragmatics") In the west, [Mandé languages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mande_languages) are widely spoken, the most predominant being [Dyula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyula_language) (also known as Jula or Dioula), others including [Bobo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobo_language), [Samo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samo_language_%28Burkina%29), and [Marka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marka_language).[406](../../406/ "tree and pragmatics") [Fula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_language) is widespread, particularly in the north.[407](../../407/ "tree and pragmatics") [Gourmanché](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmanché_language) is spoken in the east, while [Bissa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bissa_language) is spoken in the south.[408](../../408/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Religion Main article: [Religion in Burkina Faso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Burkina_Faso) The [government of Burkina Faso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Burkina_Faso)'s 2019 census reported that 63.8% of the population practiced Islam, and that the majority of this group belong to the [Sunni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni) branch,[\[15\]](../../page/6/#ref-15 "note 15")[\[198\]](../../page/6/#ref-198 "note 198") while a small minority adheres to [Shia Islam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_Islam).[\[199\]](../../page/6/#ref-199 "note 199")[409](../../409/ "tree and pragmatics") A significant number of Sunni Muslims identify with the [Tijaniyah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijaniyah) [Sufi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi) order.[410](../../410/ "tree and pragmatics") The 2019 census also found that 26.3% of the population were Christians (20.1% being Roman Catholics and 6.2% members of Protestant denominations) and 9.0% followed [traditional indigenous beliefs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_traditional_religion) such as the [Dogon religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon_religion), 0.2% followed other religions, and 0.7% were non-religious.[\[15\]](../../page/6/#ref-15 "note 15")[\[198\]](../../page/6/#ref-198 "note 198")[411](../../411/ "tree and pragmatics") [Animists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animism) are the largest religious group in the country's [Sud-Ouest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sud-Ouest_Region_%28Burkina_Faso%29) region, forming 48.1% of its total population.[\[15\]](../../page/6/#ref-15 "note 15")[412](../../412/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Health Main article: [Health in Burkina Faso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_Burkina_Faso) In 2016, the average life expectancy was estimated at 60 for males and 61 for females.[413](../../413/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2018, the under-five mortality rate and the infant mortality rate was 76 per 1000 live births.[\[200\]](../../page/6/#ref-200 "note 200")[414](../../414/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2024, the median age of its inhabitants was 18 and the estimated population growth rate was 2.4%.[\[4\]](../../page/6/#ref-4 "note 4")[415](../../415/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2011, health expenditures was 6.5% of GDP; the maternal mortality ratio was estimated at 300 deaths per 100000 live births and the physician density at 0.05 per 1000 population in 2010.[416](../../416/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2012, it was estimated that the adult HIV [prevalence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence) rate (ages 15–49) was 1.0%.[\[201\]](../../page/6/#ref-201 "note 201")[417](../../417/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the 2011 UNAIDS Report, HIV prevalence is declining among pregnant women who attend antenatal clinics.[\[202\]](../../page/6/#ref-202 "note 202")[418](../../418/ "tree and pragmatics") According to a 2005 World Health Organization report, an estimated 72.5% of Burkina Faso's girls and women have had [female genital mutilation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation), administered according to traditional rituals.[\[203\]](../../page/6/#ref-203 "note 203")[419](../../419/ "tree and pragmatics") Central government spending on health was 3% in 2001.[\[204\]](../../page/6/#ref-204 "note 204") as of 2009, studies estimated there were as few as 10 physicians per 100,000 people.[\[205\]](../../page/6/#ref-205 "note 205")[420](../../420/ "tree and pragmatics") In addition, there were 41 nurses and 13 midwives per 100,000 people.[\[205\]](../../page/6/#ref-205 "note 205")[421](../../421/ "tree and pragmatics") [Demographic and Health Surveys](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_and_Health_Surveys) has completed three surveys in Burkina Faso since 1993, and had another in 2009.[\[206\]](../../page/6/#ref-206 "note 206")[422](../../422/ "tree and pragmatics") A [Dengue fever](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever) outbreak in 2016 killed 20 patients.[\[207\]](../../page/6/#ref-207 "note 207")[423](../../423/ "tree and pragmatics") In the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Burkina Faso ranks 98th out of 127 countries and has a serious level of hunger.[\[208\]](../../page/6/#ref-208 "note 208")[424](../../424/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Education Main article: [Education in Burkina Faso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Burkina_Faso) Education in Burkina Faso is divided into primary, secondary and higher education.[425](../../425/ "tree and pragmatics") The Education Act makes schooling compulsory from age 6 to 16, with French as the official language of instruction.[426](../../426/ "tree and pragmatics") By law, education is free, but the government lacks adequate resources to provide universal free primary education.[427](../../427/ "tree and pragmatics") Children must pay for school supplies, and communities are often responsible for constructing primary school buildings and teachers' housing.[428](../../428/ "tree and pragmatics") Children from poor families can receive tuition-free education through junior high and high school if their grades qualify.[429](../../429/ "tree and pragmatics") High school costs approximately CFA 25,000 (US$50) per year, which is far above the means of most Burkinabè families.[430](../../430/ "tree and pragmatics") Boys receive preference in schooling; as such, girls' education and literacy rates are far lower than their male counterparts’.[431](../../431/ "tree and pragmatics") An increase in girls' schooling has been observed because of the government's policy of making school cheaper for girls and granting them more scholarships.[432](../../432/ "tree and pragmatics") To proceed from primary to middle school, middle to high school or high school to college, national exams must be passed.[433](../../433/ "tree and pragmatics") Institutions of higher education include the [University of Ouagadougou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Ouagadougou), [The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Polytechnic_University_of_Bobo-Dioulasso), and the [University of Koudougou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Koudougou), which is also a teacher training institution.[434](../../434/ "tree and pragmatics") There are some small private colleges in the capital city of [Ouagadougou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouagadougou) [corpus](../../../Ouagadougou/ "in our corpus") but these are affordable to only a small portion of the population.[435](../../435/ "tree and pragmatics") Higher education provision is highly centralized in Ouagadougou.[436](../../436/ "tree and pragmatics") The University of Ouagadougou had around 40,000 students (83% of the national population of university students) in 2010/2011, the University of Koudougou had 5,600 students, and the Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso had 2,600.[437](../../437/ "tree and pragmatics") The private universities each had less than 1,000 students.[438](../../438/ "tree and pragmatics") Supervision rates vary significantly between institutions - at the University of Ouagadougou there is one lecturer for every 24 students, while at The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso there is one lecturer for every three students.[439](../../439/ "tree and pragmatics") As of 2023, the gross enrollment ratio for tertiary education among males was reported at 12.1%.[440](../../440/ "tree and pragmatics") The gross enrollment ratio represents the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown.[441](../../441/ "tree and pragmatics") There is also the [International School of Ouagadougou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_School_of_Ouagadougou) (ISO), an American-based private school located in Ouagadougou.[442](../../442/ "tree and pragmatics") The 2008 UN Development Program Report ranked Burkina Faso as the country with the lowest level of literacy in the world, despite a concerted effort to double its literacy rate from 12.8% in 1990 to 25.3% in 2008.[443](../../443/ "tree and pragmatics") #### Influencing factors Several factors continue to influence educational outcomes in Burkina Faso, such as the limited number of actual schools, particularly in rural areas, and a shortage of qualified instructors, especially for higher education.[444](../../444/ "tree and pragmatics") Families must pay for school supplies and school fees despite nominal free education, and there is widespread poverty with very low family incomes.[445](../../445/ "tree and pragmatics") There is the opportunity costs of sending children to school rather than having them contribute to family income.[446](../../446/ "tree and pragmatics") Another factor is language barriers, as education is conducted primarily in French while only approximately 15% of Burkinabè speak French as a first language.[447](../../447/ "tree and pragmatics") \[citation needed\][448](../../448/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Food insecurity According to the [Global Hunger Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Hunger_Index), a multidimensional tool used to measure and track a country's hunger levels,[\[209\]](../../page/6/#ref-209 "note 209") Burkina Faso ranked 65 out of 78 countries in 2013.[\[210\]](../../page/6/#ref-210 "note 210")[449](../../449/ "tree and pragmatics") It is estimated that there are currently over 1.5 million children who are at risk of food insecurity in Burkina Faso, with around 350,000 children who are in need of emergency medical assistance.[\[210\]](../../page/6/#ref-210 "note 210")[450](../../450/ "tree and pragmatics") However, only about a third of these children will actually receive adequate medical attention.[\[211\]](../../page/6/#ref-211 "note 211")[451](../../451/ "tree and pragmatics") Only 11.4 percent of children under the age of two receive the daily recommended number of meals.[\[210\]](../../page/6/#ref-210 "note 210")[452](../../452/ "tree and pragmatics") Stunted growth as a result of food insecurity is a severe problem in Burkina Faso, affecting at least a third of the population from 2008 to 2012.[\[212\]](../../page/6/#ref-212 "note 212")[453](../../453/ "tree and pragmatics") Additionally, stunted children, on average, tend to complete less school than children with normal growth development,[\[211\]](../../page/6/#ref-211 "note 211") further contributing to the low levels of education of the Burkina Faso population.[\[213\]](../../page/6/#ref-213 "note 213")[454](../../454/ "tree and pragmatics") The [European Commission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission) expects that approximately 500,000 children under age 5 in Burkina Faso will suffer from acute [malnutrition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malnutrition) in 2015, including around 149,000 who will suffer from its most life-threatening form.[\[214\]](../../page/6/#ref-214 "note 214")[455](../../455/ "tree and pragmatics") Rates of micronutrient deficiencies are also high.[\[215\]](../../page/6/#ref-215 "note 215")[456](../../456/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS 2010), 49 percent of women and 88 percent of children under the age of five suffer from anemia.[\[215\]](../../page/6/#ref-215 "note 215")[457](../../457/ "tree and pragmatics") Forty percent of infant deaths can be attributed to malnutrition, and in turn, these infant mortality rates have decreased Burkina Faso's total work force by 13.6 percent, demonstrating how food security affects more aspects of life beyond health.[\[210\]](../../page/6/#ref-210 "note 210")[458](../../458/ "tree and pragmatics") These high rates of food insecurity and the accompanying effects are even more prevalent in rural populations compared to urban ones, as access to health services in rural areas is much more limited and awareness and education of children's nutritional needs is lower.[\[216\]](../../page/6/#ref-216 "note 216")[459](../../459/ "tree and pragmatics") An October 2018 report by [USAid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USAid) stated that droughts and floods remained problematic, and that "violence and insecurity are disrupting markets, trade and livelihoods activities in some parts of Burkina Faso's northern and eastern areas".[460](../../460/ "tree and pragmatics") The report estimated that over 954,300 people needed food security support, and that, according to [UNICEF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNICEF), an "estimated 187,200 children under 5 years of age will experience severe acute malnutrition".[461](../../461/ "tree and pragmatics") Agencies providing assistance at the time included USAID's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) working with the UN [World Food Programme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Food_Programme), the NGO [Oxfam Intermón](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxfam_Intermón) and [ACDI/VOCA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACDI/VOCA).[\[217\]](../../page/6/#ref-217 "note 217")[462](../../462/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Approaches to improving food security #### World Food Programme The United Nations' [World Food Programme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Food_Programme) has worked on programs that are geared towards increasing food security in Burkina Faso.[463](../../463/ "tree and pragmatics") The Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation 200509 (PRRO) was formed to respond to the high levels of malnutrition in Burkina Faso, following the food and nutrition crisis in 2012.[\[218\]](../../page/6/#ref-218 "note 218")[464](../../464/ "tree and pragmatics") The efforts of this project are mostly geared towards the treatment and prevention of malnutrition and include take home rations for the caretakers of those children who are being treated for malnutrition.[\[218\]](../../page/6/#ref-218 "note 218")[465](../../465/ "tree and pragmatics") Additionally, the activities of this operation contribute to families' abilities to withstand future food crises.[466](../../466/ "tree and pragmatics") Better nutrition among the two most vulnerable groups, young children and pregnant women, prepares them to be able to respond better in times when food security is compromised, such as in droughts.[\[218\]](../../page/6/#ref-218 "note 218")[467](../../467/ "tree and pragmatics") The Country Programme (CP) has two parts: food and nutritional assistance to people with HIV/AIDS, and a school feeding program for all primary schools in the Sahel region.[\[219\]](../../page/6/#ref-219 "note 219")[468](../../468/ "tree and pragmatics") The HIV/AIDS nutrition program aims to better the nutritional recovery of those who are living with HIV/AIDS and to protect at-risk children and orphans from malnutrition and food security.[\[219\]](../../page/6/#ref-219 "note 219")[469](../../469/ "tree and pragmatics") As part of the school feeding component, the Country Programme's goals are to increase enrollment and attendance in schools in the Sahel region, where enrollment rates are below the national average.[\[218\]](../../page/6/#ref-218 "note 218")[470](../../470/ "tree and pragmatics") Furthermore, the program aims at improving gender parity rates in these schools, by providing girls with high attendance in the last two years of primary school with take-home rations of cereals as an incentive to households, encouraging them to send their girls to school.[\[218\]](../../page/6/#ref-218 "note 218")[471](../../471/ "tree and pragmatics") The WFP concluded the formation of a subsequently approved plan in August 2018 "to support the Government's vision of 'a democratic, unified and united nation, transforming the structure of its economy and achieving a strong and inclusive growth through patterns of sustainable consumption and production.'[472](../../472/ "tree and pragmatics") It will take important steps in WFP's new strategic direction for strengthened national and local capacities to enable the Government and communities to own, manage, and implement food and nutrition security programmes by 2030".[\[220\]](../../page/6/#ref-220 "note 220")[473](../../473/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/) … [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/page/4/) **5** [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/page/6/) - ← previous: [page 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/page/4/) - next →: [page 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Burkina_Faso/page/6/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)