Ouagadougou: population and official figures
What is the population of Ouagadougou?
Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, had 2,415,266 inhabitants (city proper) on 16 November 2019, according to a complete census (usual residents) reported to the United Nations.
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyHow does Ouagadougou rank among cities in Burkina Faso?
Of the 6 cities the UN table lists for Burkina Faso (capitals and places of 100,000 or more), it is the largest.
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyHow many women and men live in Ouagadougou?
Women and girls made up 51.0% of residents (1,231,709 female, 1,183,557 male).
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyWho runs Ouagadougou?
In Burkina Faso, cities and towns are run by departments: Prefect appointed for each department; communes normally have an elected council that elects the mayor, but are now run by appointed special delegations. Communes provide basic services such as primary schools, health centres and markets. Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso have special status and are split into arrondissements.
How local power works in Burkina Faso
Cities of a similar size in Burkina Faso
- Bobo Dioulasso 984,603
Up a level: all cities in Burkina Faso · Burkina Faso · government and power
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, technical notes to Table 8, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0d2d6d8ccd6…)
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