Water withdrawals per capita in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Water withdrawals per capita was 35.53 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
35.53 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
165th
of 180 countries
All-time high
59.87 cubic meters per person
in 2001
All-time low
35.53 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Burkina Faso, 1985–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
In 2023, water withdrawals per capita in Burkina Faso stood at 35.53 cubic meters per person. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Burkina Faso peaked at 59.87 cubic meters per person in 2001 and was at its lowest, 35.53 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
That places Burkina Faso 165th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 36.25 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1986 | 36.73 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 37.19 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 37.62 cubic meters per person | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 38.01 cubic meters per person | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 38.37 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 38.71 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 39.05 cubic meters per person | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 40.04 cubic meters per person | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 40.94 cubic meters per person | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 41.76 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 42.51 cubic meters per person | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 43.19 cubic meters per person | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 43.72 cubic meters per person | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 51.58 cubic meters per person | +18.0% |
| 2000 | 58.92 cubic meters per person | +14.2% |
| 2001 | 59.87 cubic meters per person | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 59.67 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 59.4 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 59.07 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 58.71 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 56.91 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 55.21 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 53.61 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 52.07 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 50.57 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 49.09 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 47.63 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 46.23 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 44.87 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 43.56 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 42.31 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 41.12 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 40.02 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 39.02 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 38.08 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 37.19 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 36.34 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 35.53 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 35.53 cubic meters per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 64.29 cubic meters per person, 55% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 35.53 cubic meters per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 37.16 cubic meters per person | 36.25 cubic meters per person | 38.01 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1990s | 41.99 cubic meters per person | 38.37 cubic meters per person | 51.58 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.34 cubic meters per person | 52.07 cubic meters per person | 59.87 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.44 cubic meters per person | 39.02 cubic meters per person | 50.57 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.79 cubic meters per person | 35.53 cubic meters per person | 38.08 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 162 Papua New Guinea 37.74 cubic meters per person compare
- 163 Gambia 37.66 cubic meters per person compare
- 164 Cote d'Ivoire 37.28 cubic meters per person compare
- 166 Liberia 26.56 cubic meters per person compare
- 167 Sierra Leone 25.08 cubic meters per person compare
- 168 Togo 23.97 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Burkina Faso
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -7.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.331 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.1598 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 7.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Burkina Faso?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Burkina Faso was 35.53 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 59.87 cubic meters per person in 2001.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.53 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Burkina Faso ranks 165th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.