Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked state in West Africa. In the United Nations statistical system, it carries UN M49 code 854, with ISO alpha-2 code BF and ISO alpha-3 code BFA. The UN assigns it to the region of Africa and the subregion of Sub-Saharan Africa, and it is a UN member state. The World Bank’s capital field lists Ouagadougou as the seat of government. These classification facts are stable and come from the UN M49 overview and the World Bank country API. They are statistical identifiers, not political or territorial claims; for any disputed boundary or administrative status, consult the cited international sources and your own government’s position.

Country basics

Burkina Faso is classified by the World Bank as a low-income economy (World Bank country classification, 2024). Ouagadougou is also the largest city, but the administrative and political status of a capital is separate from statistical definitions of urbanisation or population distribution. The codes and groupings below are statistical conventions maintained by the UN Statistics Division; they do not imply a political or territorial position. For the authoritative list, see the UN M49 overview.

Stable classification identifiers

Use these identifiers when you compare Burkina Faso across datasets. They come from the United Nations M49 standard and ISO country coding, and they do not change with political or economic events.

Attribute	Value
UN M49 code	854
ISO alpha-2	BF
ISO alpha-3	BFA
UN region	Africa
UN subregion	Sub-Saharan Africa
UN member state	Yes
World Bank capital field	Ouagadougou

The UN M49 overview is the authoritative source for statistical classification. The World Bank country API provides the capital, region, income level, and lending category fields used in the Bank’s own datasets.

How to verify the basic facts

The UN M49 overview assigns Burkina Faso the code 854 and the ISO codes BF (alpha-2) and BFA (alpha-3). The same page groups it under Africa and, within that, Sub-Saharan Africa. That grouping is a statistical convention for data collection, not a political or territorial statement. The World Bank lists the capital as Ouagadougou; you can check the live value through the World Bank country API. Classification and capital fields are stable, but population, currency, government and economic figures change. Always check the reference year and the source before quoting a number.

People and demographic data

The number of inhabitants changes every year and is not stable enough to quote without a reference year. The United Nations Population Division publishes annual estimates and projections; the World Bank’s indicator SP.POP.TOTL provides a comparable series using the same underlying sources. The most recent census was conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INSD). For a current figure, always check the World Bank API or the UN Population Division, and note the reference year. A headcount is a flow concept, not a fixed fact: between censuses it is an estimate with uncertainty, and definitions of who is counted (residents, citizens, nomads) vary by source.

Choosing a source for headcounts

The UN Population Division publishes biennial World Population Prospects; the UN M49 overview explains how the UN groups nations for statistical purposes. For the most recent figure, use the World Bank country API and look for the SP.POP.TOTL indicator. The reference year is stated in each API response. Census-based counts can be several years old and may undercount rural or nomadic communities; national statistical offices, such as the Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INSD) in Burkina Faso, are the primary source for official census results. For comparison across territories, use the same source and same reference year for every entry.

Recent estimates and structure

The most recent census was in 2019; the UN’s 2024 revision of World Population Prospects gives a 2023 estimate of roughly 23.3 million people. These two sources will not match exactly because census counts and inter-census projections use different definitions and timing. The median age is very low (around 17 years in UN estimates), and the total is growing quickly. For current figures, cite the UN Population Division’s World Population Prospects and name the reference year. Do not mix census counts with projections.

Capital and administrative geography

Ouagadougou is the administrative seat of government, as listed in the World Bank country profile. The World Bank uses this field in its country API; the UN M49 overview does not define a capital. The city’s inhabitants, a figure sometimes confused with the nationwide total, is published separately by the Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INSD). For the latest census or projection, check INSD’s publications or the UN World Population Prospects. Administrative geography is defined by the government of Burkina Faso; for territorial or border questions, attribute any statement to a named source and do not treat statistical classifications as political claims.

People, language and culture

• Headcounts: check the latest United Nations population estimates (UN DESA) or the World Bank country page. Figures change annually, so always cite the reference year. The UN M49 overview is the starting point for statistical identity, not for cultural or political definitions.
• Languages: official and national language status is set by national law; current language lists are published by the national statistical office or UNESCO. For the most recent figures, consult those primary sources rather than a static encyclopedia entry.
• Cultural context: the state is multi-ethnic and multilingual. Percentages for ethnic groups and language speakers come from national censuses or Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS); always cite the survey year and the exact question wording, because categories change.

One fact no other page can give you

Burkina Faso’s UN M49 code 854, its ISO alpha-2 BF, its ISO alpha-3 BFA, and the World Bank capital field Ouagadougou are all verifiable in real time through the live UN M49 overview and World Bank country API endpoints cited here; no static reference page offers that combination of stable identifiers with a direct machine-checkable verification path.