Economy · Public debt · Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso’s public debt rose to 64.2% of GDP in 2024.
64.2% of GDP
2024
Up 2.2 pp from 2023.
Updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
64.2% of GDP
What it is. This measure adds up what the central government owes and divides it by the value of everything the economy produces in the year. Dividing by GDP lets the burden be compared over time as the economy grows. Debts of local authorities and other public bodies sit outside a central government total, and the ratio also moves with exchange rates when part of the debt is owed in foreign currency.
Lower is better. A lower share means less of the country's income is committed to interest and repayment, which leaves more room to borrow when a shock arrives. The latest figure, for 2024, is 64.2% of GDP, up from 62% of GDP a year earlier, a rise of 2.2 percentage points. Since 2018 the ratio has ranged from a low of 45.6% of GDP in 2018 to a high of 73.4% of GDP in 2020. The 2024 reading sits in the upper part of that range, well above where it started in 2018 and below the 2020 peak.
Why it matters. A debt stock near 64.2% of GDP means the Burkinabè state must set aside a sizeable part of its revenue for interest and repayments, which leaves less for schools, health services and security. When the government borrows heavily from domestic lenders, firms can face tighter credit and higher borrowing costs. Households feel the effect through the services and public investment the budget can afford.
| Period | Public debt · Burkina Faso |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 45.6% of GDP |
| 2019 | 47.1% of GDP |
| 2020 | 73.4% of GDP |
| 2021 | 55.6% of GDP |
| 2022 | 63.2% of GDP |
| 2023 | 62% of GDP |
| 2024 | 64.2% of GDP |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Public debt, Burkina Faso, 2024; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/economy/public-debt/burkina-faso
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
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Methodology
Central government debt, total, as a share of GDP. Unit: % of GDP. The measure covers central government only.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.