Burkina Faso vs South Africa
Burkina Faso vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: -0.6% a year in Burkina Faso and 3.2% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 3.8 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Burkina Faso.
- In 2025, Burkina Faso ranked 176 and South Africa ranked 79 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Burkina Faso at 2% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Burkina Faso | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -0.6 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 0.9 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 13.8 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 1.9 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | -3.2 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 2 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 1.5 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 0.4 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 1.7 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | -0.3 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 0.5 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 3.8 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 2.8 | 5 |
| 2010 | -0.6 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 0.9 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 10.7 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | -0.2 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 2.3 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 6.4 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | -0.4 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 2 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 2.3 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | -0.2 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | -1.1 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 4.9 | 7 |
| 1997 | 2.9 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 6.1 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 7.8 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 24.7 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 0.6 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | -2 | 14 |
| 1991 | 2.5 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | -0.8 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | -0.3 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 4.2 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | -2.9 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | -2.7 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 7.1 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 4.8 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 8.3 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 12.1 | 14 |
| 1981 | 7.6 | 15.9 |
| 1980 | 12.3 | 14.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Burkina Faso | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.1 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 2.2 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 2 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 2 | 3 |
| 2030 | 2 | 3 |
| 2031 | 2 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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 South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyBurkina Faso: 61.1 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBurkina Faso: 7.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBurkina Faso: 52.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBurkina Faso: 3.69% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBurkina Faso: 13.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBurkina Faso: 23 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBurkina Faso: 2.26% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBurkina Faso: 4.19 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBurkina Faso: 28.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBurkina Faso: 17.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBurkina Faso: 2.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBurkina Faso: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBurkina Faso: 3.3% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBurkina Faso: $844M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBurkina Faso: $37 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBurkina Faso: 13.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBurkina Faso: 11,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerBurkina Faso: 0.09% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBurkina Faso: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBurkina Faso: 34 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025