Burkina Faso has a population of 21[1] million people, with 30%[2] of the population residing in urban areas and 69%[3] living in rural regions. One quarter[4] of the working population of Burkina Faso is formally employed in agriculture and it is estimated that nearly 90% of Burkina Faso’s working population is employed in the agricultural sector to some degree.[5] The agricultural sector accounts for 18% of the nation’s GDP. [6]
Agriculture in Burkina Faso is largely subsistence based and consists of a small variety of crops and livestock.The agricultural sector is characterized by low productivity rates that have been exacerbated by climate change due to increased drought and desertification.[7] National improvements in agriculture have reduced the likelihood of famine, however, roughly 20% of the population of Burkina Faso are food insecure,[8] with nearly 44% of the population living below the international poverty line of $1.9 per day. [9]
The top produced commodities in Burkina Faso are sorghum, maize, millet, cotton seed and dry cow peas.[10] Similarly, Burkina Faso’s top export commodities in terms of quantity are cotton lint, sheanuts, cashew nuts, sesame seeds and cottonseed cake.[11]
- ^ World Bank. (2021). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=BF
- ^ World Bank. (2021). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS?locations=BF
- ^ World Bank. (2019). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS?locations=BF
- ^ World Bank. (2020). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS?locations=BF
- ^ FAO. (2014). http://www.fao.org/3/i3760e/i3760e.pdf
- ^ World Bank. (2020). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS?locations=BF
- ^ World Bank (2017). https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2017/06/29/burkina-faso-agriculture-as-a-powerful-instrument-for-poverty-reduction#:~:text=Burkina%20Faso's%20agriculture%2Dbased%20economy,agro%2Dpastoral%20value%2Dchains.
- ^ USAID (2020). https://www.usaid.gov/burkina-faso/agriculture-and-food-security
- ^ World Bank (2014). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.DDAY?locations=BF
- ^ FAOSTAT (2019). http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/commodities_by_country
- ^ FAOSTAT (2019). http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/commodities_by_country_exports
Minimum wage
The national minimum wage in Burkina Faso is 34,664 West African CFA franc (53 EUR) per month.[1] This value remains the same since 2012. This government mandated minimum wage is less than the poverty income level and does not apply to informal employment or subsistence agriculture. Additionally, it is common for employers to pay their employees less than minimum wage. Many workers supplement their income through subsistence agriculture, the informal sector, or extended family.[2]
Living Income
The Global Living Wage Coalition has developed a Living Income Reference Value study for rural Burkina Faso based on the Anker methodology.
The living income reference value for rural Burkina Faso is 105,265 West African CFA franc (160 EUR) per month for a typical rural family. This living income reference value is roughly twice the income of a typical rural family earning a minimum wage. Nonetheless, it is expected that living income gaps vary largely across Burkina Faso. In rural Burkina Faso, poverty levels are three times higher than in urban areas. Rural farming households, which depend mainly on agriculture, have the highest poverty rate in the country.[3]
- ^ ILO. (2018). https://www.ilo.org/shinyapps/bulkexplorer48/?lang=en&segment=indicator&id=EAR_INEE_NOC_NB_A
- ^ U.S. Department of State. (2019). https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/burkina-faso/
- ^ Global Living Wage Coalition. (2022). Anker Living Income Reference Value: Rural Burkina Faso 2020. https://www.globallivingwage.org/living-income-reference-value%e2%81%a0-rural-burkina-faso/
Living Income Reference Value, rural Burkina Faso 
Living income reference value estimate for rural Burkina Faso, based on a typical rural family. Global Living Wage Coalition.
Living wage for mango farmers in Burkina Faso
Company-driven living wage gap assessment for an organic mango exporter in Burkina Faso. Eosta, Nature & More, 2020.
The shea nut industry & women’s empowerment
Report on the economic and social resilience of women in the shea nut industry. FAO, 2017.
Economic importance of cotton in Burkina Faso
Report on the role cotton production has played in economic development and poverty reduction in Burkina Faso. FAO, 2017.