Where Burkinabé move
2.1M Burkinabé live abroad — #38 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from Burkina Faso? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 96% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Cote d'Ivoire | 1820882 |
| Ghana | 75339 |
| Mali | 69919 |
| Niger | 31858 |
| Italy | 15279 |
| Togo | 13866 |
| Benin | 13704 |
| Gabon | 7582 |
| Guinea | 545 |
| Brazil | 396 |
| Liberia | 161 |
| Denmark | 140 |
| Luxembourg | 80 |
| Namibia | 77 |
| Australia | 68 |
| Greece | 37 |
| Norway | 36 |
| Finland | 34 |
| Bulgaria | 18 |
| Hungary | 14 |
| Sierra Leone | 7 |
| Slovenia | 6 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Liechtenstein | 1 |
| Iceland | 0 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 99%
2M
15.6K
396
68
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Burkina Faso.
Cote d'Ivoire is the primary destination for emigrants
Cote d'Ivoire attracts 89% of all emigrants from Burkina Faso, while the second-largest destination receives just 4%.
Niger is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Niger has increased by 65% since 2015, rising from 19.3K to 31.9K in 9 years.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 11 residents of Burkina Faso has emigrated — 2.1M out of 23.5M, representing 8.7% of the population.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1015890 |
| 1995 | 1152082 |
| 2000 | 1297567 |
| 2005 | 1443306 |
| 2010 | 1601296 |
| 2015 | 1759971 |
| 2020 | 1919400 |
| 2024 | 2050050 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Cote d'Ivoire | Ghana | Mali | Niger | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 927902 | 41668 | 23024 | 9596 | 823 |
| 1995 | 1059222 | 41526 | 20221 | 13956 | 1390 |
| 2000 | 1190543 | 46451 | 20155 | 18432 | 2250 |
| 2005 | 1321864 | 50321 | 22283 | 18771 | 5125 |
| 2010 | 1453184 | 48452 | 43132 | 19068 | 8812 |
| 2015 | 1584505 | 58704 | 53080 | 19323 | 11052 |
| 2020 | 1715826 | 67431 | 62291 | 24683 | 13898 |
| 2024 | 1820882 | 75339 | 69919 | 31858 | 15279 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Burkina Faso as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Burkina Faso