Sahel: population, poverty, schools, health, electricity and regional budgets
Sahel is a region of Burkina Faso, number 9 of 13 by population. The INSD projects the population of the Sahel region at 1,282,085 for 2026, 5.2% of Burkina Faso's 24.74 million; 5th smallest 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 Sahel: The national power utility had 19,031 low-voltage customers in Sahel at the end of 2024, 16 per 1,000 people, 2nd lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 49); there were 14,772 in 2018.
- Health in Sahel: For every 1,000 babies born in Sahel, 58 died before their first birthday and 98 before their fifth, according to the 2021 Demographic and Health Survey; the under-five rate is 2nd highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 30 and 48). Insecurity kept the survey out of large parts of this region, and the survey report says its figures for the region should be read with caution.
- Education in Sahel: 19.9% of people aged 15 and over in Sahel could read and write in 2021, the lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 42.0%).
- Poverty and living standards in Sahel: 76.1% of people in Sahel lived below the national poverty line in 2021 (Harmonised Survey on Household Living Conditions, EHCVM), the highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 43.2%). The region holds 9.3% of the country's poor.
How fast is Sahel's population growing?
The projections add 29,285 people to Sahel between 2025 and 2026, growth of 2.34% 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 Sahel?
The 2019 general census counted 1,098,177 people in Sahel, up from 968,442 in 2006, with 31.0 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 Sahel have?
Women in Sahel had 5.9 children each on average in 2021, according to the Demographic and Health Survey, the highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 4.4; Sahel in 2010: 7.5). Insecurity kept the survey out of large parts of this region, and the survey report says its figures for the region should be read with caution.
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyHow much money does the Sahel regional council have?
The Sahel regional council collected 3,444 million CFA francs in revenue in 2023 according to its administrative accounts, about 2,882 francs per resident, the highest 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 Sahel regional council spend?
The Sahel regional council spent 510 million CFA francs in 2023, 15% 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 Sahel regional council went from 1,156 million CFA francs in 2019 to 3,444 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
- Nord 2,039,335
- Centre-Ouest 1,961,304
- Centre-Est 1,882,070
- Plateau-Central 1,151,005
- Sud-Ouest 1,037,896
- Cascades 1,004,913
- Centre-Sud 912,304
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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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