Photo: qiv derivative work: JamesA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Burkina Faso: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Burkina Faso is placed 134th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 37.39 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 12.49 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
134th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Burkina Faso on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Burkina Faso’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
37.39
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Burkina Faso: 37.39. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Western Africa
- 29.59 Guinea
- Land neighbours
- Benin 34.4 · Côte d’Ivoire 35.28 · Ghana 43.51 · Mali 35.65 · Niger 32.86 · Togo 37.86
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Burkina Faso’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
12.49
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Burkina Faso: 12.49. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Western Africa
- 2.46 Guinea
- Land neighbours
- Benin 7.06 · Côte d’Ivoire 4.7 · Ghana 15.85 · Mali 9.61 · Niger 18.63 · Togo 10.38
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
65.5
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Burkina Faso: 65.5. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Western Africa
- 43.7 Gambia
- Land neighbours
- Benin 53.5 · Côte d’Ivoire 46.6 · Ghana 65.8 · Mali 60.8 · Niger 85.8 · Togo 53.7
02Over time
Which way Burkina Faso is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
Burkina FasoWorld median
Burkina Faso fell from 43.25 in 2003 to 37.39 in 2021; the world median went from 35.46 to 34.03.
Every year’s figures
Year Burkina Faso World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 37.4 34.04 2020 — 34.18 2019 — 33.51 2018 43.0 35.25 2017 — 34.86 2016 — 34.47 2015 — 35.52 2014 35.3 34.79 2013 — 36.16 2012 — 35.40 2011 — 33.96 2010 — 33.71 2009 39.8 34.91 2008 — 34.60 2007 — 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 — 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 43.3 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
Burkina FasoWorld median
Burkina Faso fell from 30.98 in 2003 to 12.49 in 2021; the world median went from 1.65 to 0.335.
Every year’s figures
Year Burkina Faso World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 12 0.335 2020 — 0.280 2019 — 0.380 2018 16 0.460 2017 — 0.300 2016 — 0.440 2015 — 0.500 2014 19 0.635 2013 — 0.515 2012 — 0.640 2011 — 0.430 2010 — 0.530 2009 28 0.600 2008 — 0.350 2007 — 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 — 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 31 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
Burkina FasoWorld median
Burkina Faso fell from 68.4 in 2017 to 65.5 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Burkina Faso World median 2025 65.5 26.40 2024 65.1 27.10 2023 65.3 27.15 2022 66.6 27.90 2021 62.7 29.65 2020 63.2 31.80 2019 62.6 29.05 2018 65.5 29.85 2017 68.4 32.40
03In context
Burkina Faso beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Burkina Faso and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Côte d’Ivoire | 106th | 35.28 | 4.7 | 46.6 |
 Benin | 112th | 34.4 | 7.06 | 53.5 |
 Mali | 122nd | 35.65 | 9.61 | 60.8 |
 Niger | =125th | 32.86 | 18.63 | 85.8 |
 Togo | 127th | 37.86 | 10.38 | 53.7 |
| Burkina Faso | 134th | 37.39 | 12.49 | 65.5 |
 Ghana | 149th | 43.51 | 15.85 | 65.8 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Burkina Faso in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Burkina Faso is ahead of the world, and behind
20 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median2
Statistics on which Burkina Faso does better than the middle country measured.
Income Growth of the Poorest 40%World Bank Group · 2024 · world median 1.8413.1741.841▼ Worsened since 2017
Burkina Faso: 3.174 · world median 1.841 · Annualized growth in real income or consumption per person of the bottom 40% (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from -4.185 to 14.51; higher is better.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.2940.413▼ Worsened since 2013
Burkina Faso: 0.294 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 107th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median15
Statistics on which Burkina Faso does worse than the middle country measured.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.6512.4418.65No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 12.44 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.941.220.9No real change since 2017
Burkina Faso: 41.2 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 37th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.1940.529No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 0.194 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 21.2631.7721.26No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 31.77 · world median 21.26 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at most 2 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.169 to 63.08; lower is better.
Position 24th of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.88538.544.885▲ Improved since 2015
Burkina Faso: 38.54 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.330.25▲ Improved since 2014
Burkina Faso: 0.33 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.140.562.1▲ Improved since 2014
Burkina Faso: 40.56 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.3430.039▲ Improved since 2018
Burkina Faso: 0.343 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 10th of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.25260.014.252No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 60.01 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 13th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gini Index of Monthly EarningsILO · 2024 · world median 0.3370.5280.337▲ Improved since 2018
Burkina Faso: 0.528 · world median 0.337 · Gini index of employees’ monthly earnings (0 = all paid the same, 1 = maximum inequality). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.182 to 0.643; lower is better.
Position 6th of 75 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,8001,85912,800▲ Improved since 2017
Burkina Faso: 1,859 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 162nd of 173 · derived.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.6010.446No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 0.601 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 8th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.2730.609No real change since 2013
Burkina Faso: 0.273 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 164th of 169 · derived.
Low Pay RateILO · 2024 · world median 17.8940.1717.89No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 40.17 · world median 17.89 · Employees paid less than two-thirds of the median hourly earnings (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.395 to 41.69; lower is better.
Position 3rd of 71 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0540.1817.05▼ Worsened since 2013
Burkina Faso: 40.18 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 3rd of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.843.221.8No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 43.2 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.553.924.55Moved since 2017
Burkina Faso: 3.92 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.883.136.88No earlier reading
Burkina Faso: 3.13 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
No current reading for Burkina Faso
Gini Index (last 2021), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2021), Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2021), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2021), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2021), Palma Ratio (last 2021), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Prosperity Gap (last 2021) and Societal Poverty Rate (last 2021). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Burkina Faso’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Burkina Faso’s 12th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability17th of 1864/4 keys
- Digital & Technology97th of 1984/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 95th of 1824/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 118th of 1944/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience121st of 1934/4 keys
- Gender & Equality120th of 1834/4 keys
- Energy114th of 1652/3 keys
- Food & Agriculture131st of 1844/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties157th of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing163rd of 2004/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge166th of 1984/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality134th of 1593/3 keys
- Economy & Innovation150th of 1764/4 keys
- Peace & Security158th of 1774/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital180th of 1963/3 keys
- Mobility & Trade176th of 1772/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Burkina Faso can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Tunisia43rd3/3 keysHighest in Western Africa
Guinea81st3/3 keysThis page
Burkina Faso134th3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Burkina Faso on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Burkina Faso rank on poverty & inequality?
Burkina Faso is placed 134th of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Burkina Faso?
37.39 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Burkina Faso?
12.49 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Burkina Faso compare with Ghana on poverty & inequality?
Ghana is placed 149th of 159, and Burkina Faso 134th. Gini Index: Ghana 43.51, Burkina Faso 37.39; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: Ghana 15.85, Burkina Faso 12.49; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: Ghana 65.8, Burkina Faso 65.5.
How have Burkina Faso’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 43.25 in 2003 to 37.39 in 2021; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 30.98 in 2003 to 12.49 in 2021; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 68.4 in 2017 to 65.5 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Burkina Faso?
No current reading is published for Burkina Faso on Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap and Societal Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 20 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Burkina Faso’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Burkina Faso (banner) — qiv derivative work: JamesA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Burkina Faso: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/burkina-faso/poverty