Burkina Faso vs Ghana
Burkina Faso vs Ghana: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 53.2% of GDP in Burkina Faso and 48.8% of GDP in Ghana, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Burkina Faso, by 4.4 percentage points, or 1.09 times that in Ghana.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Burkina Faso has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Ghana.
- In 2025, Burkina Faso ranked 74 and Ghana ranked 84 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Burkina Faso at 49.7% of GDP and Ghana at 47.3% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Burkina Faso | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 53.2 | 48.8 |
| 2024 | 57.3 | 70.1 |
| 2023 | 56.8 | 79.1 |
| 2022 | 59.2 | 92.7 |
| 2021 | 55.5 | 86.9 |
| 2020 | 45 | 79.1 |
| 2019 | 41.7 | 62.9 |
| 2018 | 38.1 | 62 |
| 2017 | 33.9 | 57 |
| 2016 | 32.9 | 55.9 |
| 2015 | 31.3 | 53.9 |
| 2014 | 26.1 | 50.1 |
| 2013 | 25.9 | 42.9 |
| 2012 | 25.2 | 35.5 |
| 2011 | 24.5 | 31.2 |
| 2010 | 23.7 | 32.9 |
| 2009 | 25.9 | 25.4 |
| 2008 | 24.9 | 23.2 |
| 2007 | 22.4 | 21.1 |
| 2006 | 20.1 | 17.3 |
| 2005 | 39.2 | 31.7 |
| 2004 | 40.7 | 38.4 |
| 2003 | 39.7 | 49.3 |
| 2002 | 43.3 | 54.1 |
| 2001 | – | 57.8 |
| 2000 | – | 74.5 |
| 1999 | – | 51.7 |
| 1998 | – | 37.6 |
| 1997 | – | 45.2 |
| 1996 | – | 42.9 |
| 1995 | – | 47.6 |
| 1994 | – | 50.6 |
| 1993 | – | 34.1 |
| 1992 | – | 21.3 |
| 1991 | – | 17.3 |
| 1990 | – | 17.8 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Burkina Faso | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51 | 51.7 |
| 2027 | 50.9 | 50.8 |
| 2028 | 51 | 49.7 |
| 2029 | 50.4 | 49 |
| 2030 | 50 | 48.2 |
| 2031 | 49.7 | 47.3 |
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
Burkina Faso vs Ghana
Health
- Life expectancyBurkina Faso: 61.1 years in 2023Ghana: 65.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBurkina Faso: 7.5 per 100 live births in 2024Ghana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBurkina Faso: 52.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ghana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBurkina Faso: 3.69% in 2017Ghana: 3.4% in 2017
- Suicide rateBurkina Faso: 13.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Ghana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBurkina Faso: 23 million people in 2023Ghana: 33.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthBurkina Faso: 2.26% a year in 2023Ghana: 1.9% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBurkina Faso: 4.19 births per woman in 2023Ghana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBurkina Faso: 28.9% in 2025Ghana: 58.9% in 2025
- Median ageBurkina Faso: 17.3 years in 2023Ghana: 20.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBurkina Faso: 2.6% in 2023Ghana: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateBurkina Faso: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Ghana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBurkina Faso: 3.3% of GDP in 2025Ghana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBurkina Faso: $844M in 2025Ghana: $385M in 2025
- Military spending per personBurkina Faso: $37 in 2025Ghana: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBurkina Faso: 13.2% of government spending in 2025Ghana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBurkina Faso: 11,000 people in 2020Ghana: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerBurkina Faso: 0.09% of world capability in 2022Ghana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBurkina Faso: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020Ghana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBurkina Faso: 34 million TIV in 2025Ghana: 5 million TIV in 2025