Current account balance in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Current account balance was -4.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Burkina Faso, 2005–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, current account balance in Burkina Faso stood at -4.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.6% on the previous year and up 44.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Burkina Faso peaked at 4.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, -10.3%, in 2005.
That places Burkina Faso 134th out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | -10.3% | — |
| 2006 | -8.3% | -19.5% |
| 2007 | -7.4% | -11.5% |
| 2008 | -10.2% | +39.1% |
| 2009 | -4.0% | -60.5% |
| 2010 | -1.8% | -55.5% |
| 2011 | -1.3% | -26.1% |
| 2012 | -1.3% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | -10.0% | +674.6% |
| 2014 | -7.2% | -28.4% |
| 2015 | -7.6% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | -6.1% | -19.7% |
| 2017 | -6.4% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | -4.2% | -34.2% |
| 2019 | -3.3% | -21.9% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | -228.3% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | -90.6% |
| 2022 | -7.5% | -2022.2% |
| 2023 | -5.1% | -32.9% |
| 2024 | -4.0% | -21.6% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's -4.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is -6.1%, 65% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's -4.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -4.1%, 96% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Current account balance in Burkina Faso changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -2022.2% | 0.4% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | -674.6% | -1.3% | -10.0% |
| 2020 | +228.3% | -3.3% | 4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -8.1% | -10.3% | -4.0% | 5 |
| 2010s | -4.9% | -10.0% | -1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.4% | -7.5% | 4.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 131 Cambodia -3.6% compare
- 132 Egypt -3.8% compare
- 133 Uzbekistan -3.9% compare
- 135 Kazakhstan -4.1% compare
- 136 Gambia -4.1% compare
- 137 Solomon Islands -4.2% compare
More economy & growth data for Burkina Faso
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.54 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.98 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 57.04 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0025 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 2.42 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -202.22 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -284.78 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0087 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -8.59 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 9.55 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Burkina Faso?
- Current account balance in Burkina Faso was -4.0% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 4.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.3% in 2005.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for current account balance?
- Burkina Faso ranks 134th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.