Burkina Faso’s electricity consumption remained very low in 2023, at 144 kWh per person—less than 4% of the global average of 3,794 kWh per person, or roughly one twenty-sixth as much. Net imports supplied 1.58 TWh, almost half of electricity consumption, while domestic fossil generation contributed 1.43 TWh, a little over two-fifths. Domestic low-carbon generation supplied only about 9%; the data do not identify the electricity sources behind imports. Such limited electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, irrigation and business development, while making it harder to meet growing demand from electrification and digital services. Expanding clean electricity would support development while limiting the air pollution and climate impacts associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Burkina Faso?

Electricity consumption per person is not currently setting new records in Burkina Faso. The 2023 level of 144 kWh was 3 kWh, or about 2%, below the record of 147 kWh reached in 2021. Low-carbon electricity generation also slipped below its previous peak: it stood at 13 kWh per person, compared with 14 kWh in 2021—a decline of about 7%. These figures show a worrying loss of momentum in electricity availability per person, particularly for clean generation. They do not, however, establish whether total electricity consumption increased or decreased, because population changes also affect per-person figures.

Suggestions

Burkina Faso can accelerate low-carbon electricity generation by expanding solar installations alongside grid connections, storage and local electricity networks. South Africa, with 20 TWh of solar generation, offers a relevant African example, while sunny regions such as India and Pakistan demonstrate solar’s potential at much larger scales, generating about 205 TWh and 41 TWh respectively. Lessons include developing a steady pipeline of projects and building the infrastructure needed to deliver their output. Nuclear should also be considered in long-term electricity planning, including through regional cooperation and investment in technical and regulatory capabilities. South Africa’s 12 TWh of nuclear generation provides an African reference, while France’s roughly 376 TWh illustrates how nuclear can underpin a large clean electricity supply. These examples offer useful approaches, rather than generation targets that Burkina Faso must match.

History

Burkina Faso’s low-carbon electricity history shows occasional gains separated by long periods of little recorded change. Hydropower generation increased by about 0.1 TWh in both 1996 and 1999. The listed years throughout the 2000s and early 2010s recorded no change at the data’s precision, before another roughly 0.1 TWh hydropower increase in 2016. In 2018, solar and biofuels each added about 0.1 TWh of low-carbon generation. Subsequent listed entries show no recorded hydropower increases in 2019 or 2021–2023, and no biofuel increase in 2020. This stop-start history highlights the need for sustained growth, especially in solar, to raise clean electricity availability well beyond today’s low level.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade