• Burkina Faso public debt rose to 8,311 billion CFA francs mid-2025

• Domestic borrowing dominates; market-issued securities form bulk of debt

• IMF says debt sustainable despite security, climate, fiscal pressures

Burkina Faso’s public debt totalled 8,311.23 billion CFA francs ($14.87 billion) at the end of June 2025, up from 7,368.14 billion CFA francs ($13.16 billion) a year earlier, according to a government public debt bulletin published on Dec. 29, 2025.

External debt accounted for 40.3% of the total, while domestic debt made up the remaining 59.7%. External debt rose to 3,349.06 billion CFA francs, driven by net drawdowns on external loans totalling 288.23 billion CFA francs in the first half of 2025, as well as currency movements, the bulletin said.

Domestic debt reached 4,962.17 billion CFA francs at the end of the second quarter of 2025, compared with 4,195.3 billion CFA francs in 2024. Debt raised on the regional financial market, mainly treasury bonds and securities, accounted for 79.4% of domestic debt.

Debt service payments between January and June 2025 amounted to 740.4 billion CFA francs, a 9% increase from the same period a year earlier. Payments were made to both domestic and external creditors.

From January through November 2025, the Burkinabe government repaid nearly 1,200 billion CFA francs in domestic debt, Finance Minister Aboubacar Nacanabo said.

Burkina Faso is grappling with a severe security crisis. The International Monetary Fund said that while the number of terrorist attacks fell by 28% in 2024, the number of casualties rose by 13% from the previous year. The economy remains vulnerable to climate shocks, which cause sharp fluctuations in agricultural output. Fiscal risks include pressure on revenues and the risk of unplanned spending, particularly on security.

As a result, the country has increasingly turned to financial markets to finance its public investment programme. In November, Burkina Faso raised 131.355 billion CFA francs on the regional market through a public bond issuance.

The IMF said Burkina Faso remains at a moderate risk of debt distress, with debt levels deemed sustainable over the medium term and its debt carrying capacity classified as medium.

Lydie Mobio