Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 3.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso stood at 3.5%.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso peaked at 4.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1997.
That places Burkina Faso 132nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.5% | — |
| 1992 | 2.5% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | +6.3% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 2.4% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | +4.6% |
| 2000 | 2.7% | +5.3% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 3.5% | +25.2% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | +14.9% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | -8.3% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | -10.1% |
| 2008 | 3.5% | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 3.7% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 3.8% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 4.3% | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 4.5% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 4.7% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 4.7% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 4.5% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -15.1% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | -5.9% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | -4.4% |
| 2025 | 3.5% | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.4% | 4.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More education data for Burkina Faso
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,557 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 105,439 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 78,072 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 75,598 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1303 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Burkina Faso was 3.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 4.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1997.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Burkina Faso ranks 132nd 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 down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 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.