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The public finance review for 2026 outlines strategic budget policies designed to enhance fiscal sustainability, stimulate job creation, and elevate living standards for the people in Burkina Faso.
Key findings from the review
- Revenue challenges: Non-oil tax revenues averaged just 12% of GDP between 2014 and 2024—a shortfall attributed to widespread tax exemptions and compliance hurdles.
- Public spending trends: Total expenditures surged to 28% of GDP in 2023-2024, yet allocations to critical social sectors remained stagnant at 5% of GDP—well below the Sub-Saharan Africa average. Wage bills, fuel subsidies, and debt servicing continue to overshadow productive and social investments.
- Resource revenue gaps: Despite being a top Burkina Faso gold producer and a significant exporter of cotton, the country’s revenue per unit of gold lags behind regional peers. Mining and forestry sectors underperform fiscally, leaving untapped potential.
- Governance and debt concerns: Direct contracting dominated 92% of public procurement in 2024, while arrears on debt reached 4% of GDP by late 2025. Public enterprise debt exceeded 10% of GDP, exposing systemic weaknesses in fiscal management, debt handling, and corporate governance.
- Social sector deficits: Health, education, and social protection systems face chronic underfunding. With only 0.6 doctors per 1,000 people, nearly 40% of early childhood educators lacking formal training, and social protection spending at a mere 0.04% of GDP in 2024, urgent reforms are needed to rebalance priorities.
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