What is the capital of Burkina Faso?
Ouagadougou lies on the central plateau of Burkina Faso, at about 305 metres above sea level.
Ouagadougou is the capital and seat of government of Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso itself has an estimated population of 24,074,580 (2025).
Ouagadougou is also the largest city in Burkina Faso, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Ouagadougou at a glance
| City population | 2,415,266 (2019) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 3,358,934 (2019) |
| Country | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso |
| Founded | 1050 |
| Largest city in Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 (GMT) |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
About Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou was founded in 1050.
The city holds one of the largest markets in West Africa; it burned down in 2003 and has since reopened with better facilities and improved fire protection.
Ouagadougou is the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of Burkina Faso, and its main industries are food processing and textiles.
It has an international airport and is linked by rail to Abidjan in Ivory Coast, with highways running to Niamey in Niger and south to Ghana.
The name is usually shortened to Ouaga, and the people of the city are called ouagalais. The spelling follows the French orthography used across the former French colonies in Africa.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Ouagadougou.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Burkina Faso?
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What is the population of Ouagadougou?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Burkina Faso on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.