Burkina Faso and Liberia
Liberia sought Burkina Faso’s support for its Security Council candidacy through a ministerial visit in January 2025. The meeting also explored economic cooperation and greater African investor participation without announcing a specific investment convention.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
Ibrahim Traoré received Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, President Joseph Boakai’s special envoy, in Ouagadougou on 31 January 2025.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2024, goods trade between Burkina Faso and Liberia totalled 0.621 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, mineral fuels and oils stands out in shipments from Burkina Faso to Liberia, at 0.00347 million USD in 2024.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 0.621 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Burkina Faso to Liberia | 0.00347 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Liberia to Burkina Faso | 0.617 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Burkina Faso to Liberia | 0.0000614 % | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Liberia to Burkina Faso | ||
| Investment stock: Burkina Faso in Liberia | ||
| Investment stock: Liberia in Burkina Faso |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter BFA. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: Burkina Faso to Liberia
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter BFA. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: Liberia to Burkina Faso
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter BFA. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Export share: Burkina Faso to Liberia
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Burkina Faso | Liberia |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 27.63 billion USD2025 · WB | 5.25 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 1,147.57 USD2025 · WB | 915.33 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 5.29 %2025 · WB | 5.02 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | -0.59 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 8.32 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | ||
| Unemployment | 3.48 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 2.88 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -3.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 52 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 54.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -3.97 %2024 · WB | 2.51 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 24,074,5802025 · WB | 5,731,2062025 · WB |
| Area | 274,200 km²2023 · WB | |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDBurkina Faso: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.Liberia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personBurkina Faso: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.Liberia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Burkina Faso: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.Liberia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Burkina Faso: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.Liberia: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency stated
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionBurkina Faso: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.Liberia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Burkina Faso: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Liberia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Burkina Faso: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Liberia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPBurkina Faso: 2024 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.Liberia: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleBurkina Faso: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.Liberia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceBurkina Faso: 2023 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Burkina Faso to Liberia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.00347 M USD2024 · Source |
Liberia to Burkina Faso
Connections between people
Ibrahim Traoré received Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, President Joseph Boakai’s special envoy, in Ouagadougou on 31 January 2025. The minister conveyed a presidential message and sought support for Liberia’s UN Security Council candidacy. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Burkina Faso living in Liberia | ||
| Residents from Liberia living in Burkina Faso | ||
| Study and training: Burkina Faso in Liberia | ||
| Study and training: Liberia in Burkina Faso | ||
| Academic stays: Burkina Faso in Liberia | ||
| Academic stays: Liberia in Burkina Faso | ||
| Travel: Burkina Faso to Liberia | ||
| Travel: Liberia to Burkina Faso |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Burkina Faso is 27.6 billion USD (2025), compared with 5.2 for Liberia (2025). The reference populations are 24.07 and 5.73 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Burkina Faso was 5.27 times that of Liberia in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Bilateral context
Ibrahim Traoré received Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, President Joseph Boakai’s special envoy, in Ouagadougou on 31 January 2025. The minister conveyed a presidential message and sought support for Liberia’s UN Security Council candidacy. [1]
Cooperation and bilateral issues
After the audience, she explained they had also discussed African development and encouraging greater continental investor participation. According to her own statement, Traoré showed receptiveness and willingness to support. The source records this ministerial assessment, not confirmation of the vote subsequently cast. The meeting opened partnership possibility discussions but identifies no companies, financing or approved joint projects; its documented outcome is mainly political and diplomatic. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2024, merchandise trade between the two countries (Burkina Faso and Liberia) totalled 0.621 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 0.00347 million; those in the opposite direction, 0.617 million. The difference between the two flows was 0.614 million, in favour of Liberia. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Burkina Faso to the partner represented 0.0000614% of its worldwide goods exports in 2024. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, mineral fuels and oils stands out in shipments from Burkina Faso to Liberia, at 0.00347 million USD in 2024. Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from Liberia to Burkina Faso, at 0.614 million USD in 2024. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [3]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — BFA-LBR
gouvernement.gov.bf · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record; reused verified primary payload, not re-downloaded
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Official series — gdp
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Official series — population
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.