Languages spoken in Burkina Faso
Africa · Capital: Ouagadougou · Population 23 million
The official language of Burkina Faso is French. Mossi is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 40% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 9.2 million people. Mossi itself holds no official status in Burkina Faso, despite being the most widely spoken. After Mossi, the most widely spoken are Dyula at 32% and French at 25%. Mossi is not recorded in any of Burkina Faso's six neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Burkina Faso, and their shares add up to 97% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.0 of them.
What languages are spoken in Burkina Faso?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mossi | 40% | Spoken | 9.2 million |
| Dyula | 32% | Spoken | 7.4 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 25% | Official | 5.8 million |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Burkina Faso?
The official language of Burkina Faso is French. French is spoken by an estimated 25% of the population, or roughly 5.8 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. That is not the most widely spoken language in the country: Mossi is, at 40%.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Mossi in Burkina Faso?
An estimated 40% of Burkina Faso's 23 million people speak Mossi, which works out at roughly 9.2 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Burkina Faso
- Capital
- Ouagadougou
- Population
- 23 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 272,967 km²
- Currency
- XOF
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 6
- ISO codes
- BF / BFA / 854
Which countries border Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso shares a land border with six countries: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Togo. None of them records Mossi, the most widely spoken language in Burkina Faso, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.