Sud-Ouest: population, poverty, schools, health, electricity and regional budgets
Sud-Ouest is a region of Burkina Faso, number 11 of 13 by population. The INSD projects the population of the Sud-Ouest region at 1,037,896 for 2026, 4.2% of Burkina Faso's 24.74 million; 3rd 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 Sud-Ouest: The national power utility had 25,649 low-voltage customers in Sud-Ouest at the end of 2024, 26 per 1,000 people, 6th lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 49); there were 14,860 in 2018.
- Health in Sud-Ouest: For every 1,000 babies born in Sud-Ouest, 71 died before their first birthday and 112 before their fifth, according to the 2021 Demographic and Health Survey; the under-five rate is the highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 30 and 48).
- Education in Sud-Ouest: 29.9% of people aged 15 and over in Sud-Ouest could read and write in 2021, 2nd lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 42.0%).
- Poverty and living standards in Sud-Ouest: 43.5% of people in Sud-Ouest lived below the national poverty line in 2021 (Harmonised Survey on Household Living Conditions, EHCVM), 5th lowest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 43.2%). The region holds 4.3% of the country's poor.
How fast is Sud-Ouest's population growing?
The projections add 25,677 people to Sud-Ouest between 2025 and 2026, growth of 2.54% 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 Sud-Ouest?
The 2019 general census counted 875,442 people in Sud-Ouest, up from 620,767 in 2006, with 53.0 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 Sud-Ouest have?
Women in Sud-Ouest had 4.7 children each on average in 2021, according to the Demographic and Health Survey, 6th highest of the 13 regions (Burkina Faso: 4.4; Sud-Ouest in 2010: 6.4).
Source: Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD) · saved copyHow much money does the Sud-Ouest regional council have?
The Sud-Ouest regional council collected 1,188 million CFA francs in revenue in 2023 according to its administrative accounts, about 1,235 francs per resident, 6th 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 Sud-Ouest regional council spend?
The Sud-Ouest regional council spent 519 million CFA francs in 2023, 44% 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 Sud-Ouest regional council went from 645 million CFA francs in 2019 to 1,188 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
- Sahel 1,282,085
- Plateau-Central 1,151,005
- 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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