Burkina Faso vs Ghana
Burkina Faso vs Ghana: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 28.9% in Burkina Faso and 58.9% in Ghana, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ghana, by 30 percentage points, or 2.04 times that in Burkina Faso.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Ghana has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Burkina Faso ranked 208 and Ghana ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Burkina Faso at 54.9% and Ghana at 73.4% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Burkina Faso | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28.9 | 58.9 |
| 2024 | 28.3 | 58.4 |
| 2023 | 27.8 | 57.8 |
| 2022 | 27.3 | 57.3 |
| 2021 | 26.8 | 56.7 |
| 2020 | 26.4 | 56.2 |
| 2019 | 26.1 | 55.7 |
| 2018 | 26.1 | 55.2 |
| 2017 | 26 | 54.7 |
| 2016 | 25.8 | 54.2 |
| 2015 | 25.6 | 53.6 |
| 2014 | 25.4 | 53.1 |
| 2013 | 25.1 | 52.5 |
| 2012 | 24.8 | 51.9 |
| 2011 | 24.5 | 51.3 |
| 2010 | 24.1 | 50.7 |
| 2009 | 23.8 | 50.1 |
| 2008 | 23.4 | 49.5 |
| 2007 | 23 | 48.8 |
| 2006 | 22.6 | 48.1 |
| 2005 | 22 | 47.5 |
| 2004 | 21.3 | 46.8 |
| 2003 | 20.6 | 46.1 |
| 2002 | 19.7 | 45.4 |
| 2001 | 18.9 | 44.6 |
| 2000 | 18 | 43.9 |
| 1999 | 17.2 | 43.2 |
| 1998 | 16.4 | 42.5 |
| 1997 | 15.8 | 41.7 |
| 1996 | 15.3 | 40.8 |
| 1995 | 14.9 | 40 |
| 1994 | 14.5 | 39.1 |
| 1993 | 14.2 | 38.2 |
| 1992 | 13.8 | 37.4 |
| 1991 | 13.5 | 36.6 |
| 1990 | 13.2 | 35.7 |
| 1989 | 12.9 | 35 |
| 1988 | 12.6 | 34.3 |
| 1987 | 12.3 | 33.6 |
| 1986 | 11.9 | 33 |
| 1985 | 11.5 | 32.5 |
| 1984 | 11 | 32.1 |
| 1983 | 10.4 | 31.8 |
| 1982 | 9.7 | 31.5 |
| 1981 | 9.1 | 31.2 |
| 1980 | 8.4 | 31 |
| 1979 | 7.8 | 30.8 |
| 1978 | 7.3 | 30.7 |
| 1977 | 6.8 | 30.5 |
| 1976 | 6.5 | 30.3 |
| 1975 | 6.4 | 30.2 |
| 1974 | 6.3 | 30 |
| 1973 | 6.2 | 29.8 |
| 1972 | 6.1 | 29.5 |
| 1971 | 6 | 29.3 |
| 1970 | 5.9 | 29 |
| 1969 | 5.8 | 28.7 |
| 1968 | 5.7 | 28.2 |
| 1967 | 5.6 | 27.7 |
| 1966 | 5.5 | 27.2 |
| 1965 | 5.5 | 26.6 |
| 1964 | 5.4 | 26 |
| 1963 | 5.3 | 25.3 |
| 1962 | 5.2 | 24.6 |
| 1961 | 5.1 | 24 |
| 1960 | 5 | 23.3 |
| 1959 | 5 | 22.6 |
| 1958 | 4.9 | 21.9 |
| 1957 | 4.8 | 21.1 |
| 1956 | 4.7 | 20.2 |
| 1955 | 4.7 | 19.3 |
| 1954 | 4.6 | 18.5 |
| 1953 | 4.5 | 17.6 |
| 1952 | 4.4 | 16.8 |
| 1951 | 4.4 | 16 |
| 1950 | 4.3 | 15.3 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Burkina Faso | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29.6 | 59.5 |
| 2027 | 30.2 | 60.1 |
| 2028 | 30.9 | 60.6 |
| 2029 | 31.7 | 61.2 |
| 2030 | 32.4 | 61.7 |
| 2031 | 33.3 | 62.3 |
| 2032 | 34.1 | 62.9 |
| 2033 | 35 | 63.5 |
| 2034 | 35.9 | 64 |
| 2035 | 36.9 | 64.6 |
| 2036 | 37.8 | 65.2 |
| 2037 | 38.9 | 65.7 |
| 2038 | 39.9 | 66.3 |
| 2039 | 41 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 42.1 | 67.5 |
| 2041 | 43.3 | 68.1 |
| 2042 | 44.4 | 68.7 |
| 2043 | 45.7 | 69.2 |
| 2044 | 46.9 | 69.8 |
| 2045 | 48.2 | 70.4 |
| 2046 | 49.5 | 71 |
| 2047 | 50.8 | 71.6 |
| 2048 | 52.1 | 72.2 |
| 2049 | 53.5 | 72.8 |
| 2050 | 54.9 | 73.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 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
- 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