Centre: population, poverty, schools, health, electricity and regional budgets
Centre is a region of Burkina Faso, the largest of 13 by population. The INSD projects the population of the Centre region at 3,891,214 for 2026, 15.7% of Burkina Faso's 24.74 million; the largest of the 13 regions. The projection starts from the 2019 census and does not count people who have since fled insecurity to other regions.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Centre: The national power utility had 509,696 low-voltage customers in Centre at the end of 2024, 141 per 1,000 people, the highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 49); there were 313,499 in 2018.
- Health in Centre: For every 1,000 babies born in Centre, 26 died before their first birthday and 39 before their fifth, according to the 2021 Demographic and Health Survey; the under-five rate is the joint lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 30 and 48).
- Education in Centre: 65.2% of people aged 15 and over in Centre could read and write in 2021, the highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 42.0%).
- Poverty and living standards in Centre: 8.0% of people in Centre lived below the national poverty line in 2021 (Harmonised Survey on Household Living Conditions, EHCVM), the lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 43.2%). The region holds 2.8% of the country's poor.
How fast is Centre's population growing?
The projections add 134,367 people to Centre between 2025 and 2026, growth of 3.58% in a year (Burkina Faso: 2.77%).
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyHow many people did the 2019 census count in Centre?
The 2019 general census counted 3,030,384 people in Centre, up from 1,727,390 in 2006, with 1,014.0 people per square kilometre (Burkina Faso: 20,505,155 and 75.1 per km²).
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyHow many children do women in Centre have?
Women in Centre had 3.3 children each on average in 2021, according to the Demographic and Health Survey, the lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 4.4; Centre in 2010: 3.7).
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyHow much money does the Centre regional council have?
The Centre regional council collected 3,329 million CFA francs in revenue in 2023 according to its administrative accounts, about 953 francs per resident, 5th lowest of the 13 regions per person (all 13 councils: 26,918 million).
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyHow much does the Centre regional council spend?
The Centre regional council spent 1,013 million CFA francs in 2023, 30% of its revenue for the year (all councils: 9,258 million, 34%).
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyMore figures
- Revenue of the Centre regional council went from 2,242 million CFA francs in 2019 to 3,329 million in 2023 (all councils: 13,438 to 26,918 million). Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copy
How regions are governed in Burkina Faso
Regions (17 since the July 2025 reorganisation; 13 before). Governor appointed by central government; the elected regional council has been replaced by an appointed special delegation since 2022. Both a state administrative area and, in law, a local government for planning and development.
Every tier of government in Burkina Faso
Other regions of Burkina Faso
- Hauts-Bassins 2,723,874
- Est 2,375,271
- Centre-Nord 2,252,997
- Boucle du Mouhoun 2,222,560
- Nord 2,039,335
- Centre-Ouest 1,961,304
- Centre-Est 1,882,070
- Sahel 1,282,085
- Plateau-Central 1,151,005
- Sud-Ouest 1,037,896
- Cascades 1,004,913
- Centre-Sud 912,304
Up a level: Burkina Faso · government and power in Burkina Faso · cities
Sources
- Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD): Annuaire statistique national 2024 (census, EHCVM poverty, education, health, energy, water, roads, agriculture, regional council accounts, road accidents by region), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9f9fc3790552…)
- INSD and ICF (The DHS Program): Enquête démographique et de santé du Burkina Faso 2021: rapport des indicateurs clés (Tables 9, 10, 12 and 20 by region), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36556756d8db…)
- Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD): RGPH 2019, Volume 4: Projections démographiques 2020-2035 (national synoptic table and regional tables by year), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6d6b78160572…)
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