Nord: population, poverty, schools, health, electricity and regional budgets
Nord is a region of Burkina Faso, number 6 of 13 by population. The INSD projects the population of the Nord region at 2,039,335 for 2026, 8.2% of Burkina Faso's 24.74 million; 6th 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 Nord: The national power utility had 57,380 low-voltage customers in Nord at the end of 2024, 30 per 1,000 people, 6th highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 49); there were 34,562 in 2018.
- Health in Nord: For every 1,000 babies born in Nord, 25 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 Nord: 38.4% of people aged 15 and over in Nord could read and write in 2021, 6th highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 42.0%).
- Poverty and living standards in Nord: 67.5% of people in Nord lived below the national poverty line in 2021 (Harmonised Survey on Household Living Conditions, EHCVM), 2nd highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 43.2%). The region holds 13.1% of the country's poor.
How fast is Nord's population growing?
The projections add 50,163 people to Nord between 2025 and 2026, growth of 2.52% 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 Nord?
The 2019 general census counted 1,722,115 people in Nord, up from 1,185,796 in 2006, with 104.0 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 Nord have?
Women in Nord had 4.6 children each on average in 2021, according to the Demographic and Health Survey, joint 6th lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 4.4; Nord in 2010: 6.2).
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyHow much money does the Nord regional council have?
The Nord regional council collected 1,351 million CFA francs in revenue in 2023 according to its administrative accounts, about 715 francs per resident, 2nd 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 Nord regional council spend?
The Nord regional council spent 453 million CFA francs in 2023, 34% 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 Nord regional council went from 759 million CFA francs in 2019 to 1,351 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
- Centre 3,891,214
- Hauts-Bassins 2,723,874
- Est 2,375,271
- Centre-Nord 2,252,997
- Boucle du Mouhoun 2,222,560
- 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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