Burkina Faso
Not Free
20
100
| PR Political Rights | 2 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 18 60 |
Last Year's Score & Status
25
100
Not Free
A country or territory’s Freedom in the World status depends on its aggregate Political Rights score, on a scale of 0–40, and its aggregate Civil Liberties score, on a scale of 0–60.
See the methodology.
Two successive military coups in 2022 plunged Burkina Faso into political crisis, eliminating many of the significant political reforms that had been implemented after the 2014–15 transition from the rule of longtime President Blaise Compaoré. While civil society and organized labor remain strong forces for democracy, they have come under increasing pressure, and Burkinabè face continued insecurity and violence from armed extremist groups, militias, and government forces, causing widespread internal displacement. The stated goal of the military’s two illegal seizures of power was to address growing security and humanitarian crises, but insecurity has dramatically worsened since the takeovers. The ruling junta has acted unilaterally to entrench itself in power, postponing elections indefinitely and suppressing dissent.
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For additional background information, see the reports from the 2024 and 2025 editions of Freedom in the World.
A1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? | 0.000 4.004 |
A2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? | 0.000 4.004 |
A3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? | 0.000 4.004 |
B1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? | 1.001 4.004 |
B2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? | 0.000 4.004 |
B3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are the people’s political choices free from domination by forces that are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ extrapolitical means? | 0.000 4.004 |
B4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, racial, religious, gender, LGBT+, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? | 1.001 4.004 |
C1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? | 0.000 4.004 |
C2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? | 1.001 4.004 |
C3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Does the government operate with openness and transparency? | 0.000 4.004 |
Add Q
| Is the government or occupying power deliberately changing the ethnic composition of a country or territory so as to destroy a culture or tip the political balance in favor of another group? | -1.00-1 |
Score Change: The score declined from 0 to −1 because security forces and junta-sponsored militias have engaged in mass killings and forced displacement of ethnic Fulani civilians as part of a counterinsurgency campaign.
D1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are there free and independent media? | 1.001 4.004 |
D2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? | 2.002 4.004 |
Score Change: The score declined from 3 to 2 because Islamist militant groups have forcibly imposed their own religious practices in the growing areas under their control, engaging in violence against people of other faiths and those who fail to abide by their mandates.
D3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? | 1.001 4.004 |
Score Change: The score declined from 2 to 1 because students seeking higher education in areas under the junta’s control must participate in state-led political indoctrination courses, and the continued geographical expansion of the internal conflict has forced thousands of schools to close.
D4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? | 0.000 4.004 |
Score Change: The score declined from 1 to 0 because the junta has used increasingly repressive measures to punish dissent, and members of vigilante groups known as Wayiyans have monitored both online and offline public spaces for criticism of the military leadership, exacerbating fear and self-censorship among ordinary residents.
E1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there freedom of assembly? | 1.001 4.004 |
E2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? | 1.001 4.004 |
Score Change: The score declined from 2 to 1 because the operating environment for civil society organizations has further deteriorated, forcing several prominent groups to shut down or leave the country.
E3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? | 3.003 4.004 |
F1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there an independent judiciary? | 1.001 4.004 |
F2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? | 1.001 4.004 |
F3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? | 0.000 4.004 |
F4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? | 1.001 4.004 |
G1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? | 1.001 4.004 |
G2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or nonstate actors? | 1.001 4.004 |
G3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? | 2.002 4.004 |
G4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? | 2.002 4.004 |
Country Facts
-
Population
22,670,000 -
Global Freedom Score
20 100 not free
