Regions of Burkina Faso
Per Law No.40/98/AN in 1998, Burkina Faso adhered to decentralization to provide administrative and financial autonomy to local communities. Most of these, according to their individual articles, were implemented on 2 July 2001.
Burkina Faso is divided into 13 administrative regions. Each region is administered by a governor.
| Region | Area (km2) [1] |
Population (2024)[2] |
Density
(per km2 in 2024) |
Administrative capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boucle du Mouhoun | 34,333 | 2,120,626 | 62.1 | Dédougou |
| Cascades | 18,424 | 944,950 | 51.3 | Banfora |
| Centre | 2,869 | 3,623,784 | 1,292 | Ouagadougou |
| Centre-Est | 14,710 | 1,787,201 | 121.9 | Tenkodogo |
| Centre-Nord | 19,677 | 2,134,352 | 107.6 | Kaya |
| Centre-Ouest | 21,752 | 1,866,251 | 85.9 | Koudougou |
| Centre-Sud | 11,457 | 872,845 | 77.2 | Manga |
| Est | 46,694 | 2,240,243 | 48.5 | Fada N'gourma |
| Hauts-Bassins | 25,343 | 2,572,566 | 101.5 | Bobo Dioulasso |
| Nord | 16,414 | 1,939,319 | 119.7 | Ouahigouya |
| Plateau-Central | 8,545 | 1,096,483 | 128.3 | Ziniaré |
| Sahel | 35,360 | 1,223,695 | 34.6 | Dori |
| Sud-Ouest | 16,153 | 986,700 | 61.1 | Gaoua |
These regions are divided into 45 provinces and subdivided into 351 communes.
In July 2025, Burkina Faso will expand from 13 to 17 regions and from 45 to 47 provinces. This reform particularly affects Boucle du Mouhoun, the East, and the Sahel, which cover 43% of the territory. Four new regions, Soum, Sirba, Tapoa, and Sourou, have been created with designated capitals, while the names of the provinces and regions have been adapted to local names.[3]
See also
- List of regions of Burkina Faso by Human Development Index
- Provinces of Burkina Faso
- Departments/Communes of Burkina Faso
- Geography of Burkina Faso
- ISO 3166-2:BF
References
- ^ Burkina Faso at Geohive
- ^ "Burkina Faso: Administrative Division (Regions and Provinces) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ "Burkina Faso : Le nouveau découpage répond à un critère fondamental, celui de la défense stratégique du territoire". Burkina 24. 3 July 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.