Burkina Faso vs Cameroon: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 53.2% of GDP in Burkina Faso and 40.5% of GDP in Cameroon, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Burkina Faso, by 12.7 percentage points, or 1.31 times that in Cameroon.
Burkina FasoCameroon
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · IMF
Latest figures
% of GDP · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burkina Faso | 53.2 2025 | 31.3 | 74 of 149 | 49.7 2031 |
| Cameroon | 40.5 2025 | 31.6 | 102 of 149 | 34.3 2031 |
What the numbers say
- Burkina Faso has been higher since 2019, when it overtook Cameroon.
- In 2025, Burkina Faso ranked 74 and Cameroon ranked 102 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Burkina Faso at 49.7% of GDP and Cameroon at 34.3% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Burkina Faso | Cameroon |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 53.2 | 40.5 |
| 2024 | 57.3 | 43.4 |
| 2023 | 56.8 | 43.6 |
| 2022 | 59.2 | 45.6 |
| 2021 | 55.5 | 47.2 |
| 2020 | 45 | 44.9 |
| 2019 | 41.7 | 41.6 |
| 2018 | 38.1 | 38.3 |
| 2017 | 33.9 | 36.5 |
| 2016 | 32.9 | 32.1 |
| 2015 | 31.3 | 31.6 |
| 2014 | 26.1 | 20.7 |
| 2013 | 25.9 | 17.5 |
| 2012 | 25.2 | 14.9 |
| 2011 | 24.5 | 15.9 |
| 2010 | 23.7 | 14 |
| 2009 | 25.9 | 11.3 |
| 2008 | 24.9 | 11.2 |
| 2007 | 22.4 | 13.8 |
| 2006 | 20.1 | 18.4 |
| 2005 | 39.2 | 43.8 |
| 2004 | 40.7 | 51.7 |
| 2003 | 39.7 | 51.5 |
| 2002 | 43.3 | 56.6 |
| 2001 | – | 62.2 |
| 2000 | – | 75.9 |
| 1999 | – | 68.4 |
| 1998 | – | 67.8 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Burkina Faso | Cameroon |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51 | 40.1 |
| 2027 | 50.9 | 39.1 |
| 2028 | 51 | 38.1 |
| 2029 | 50.4 | 36.8 |
| 2030 | 50 | 35.2 |
| 2031 | 49.7 | 34.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time