Indicator	Value
Military expenditure (% GDP)	4.68 %SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military expenditure	1,020,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Armed forces personnel	11,000 peopleWorld Bank WDI [2020]
Arms imports	37,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Arms exports	No authoritative open source found
Military & security forces	Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF; aka National Armed Forces (FAN), aka Defense and Security Forces (Forces de Défense et de Sécurité or FDS)): Army of Burkina Faso, Air Force of Burkina Faso, National Gendarmerie, National Fire Brigade (Brigade Nationale de Sapeurs-Pompiers or BNSP); Homeland Defense Volunteers (Forcés de Volontaires de Défense pour la Patrie or VDP)Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security (Ministère de l'Administration Territoriale, de la Décentralisation et de la Sécurité): National Police of Burkina Faso (includes Border Police, Judicial Police, and Intervention Units, as well as State and Public Security forces) (2025); note: note 1: the National Gendarmerie is under the Ministry of Defense, but usually operates in support of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Security; the Gendarmerie's primary mission is counterterrorismnote 2: the VDP is a lightly armed civilian defense/militia force established in 2019 to act as auxiliaries to the Army; the volunteers receive two weeks of training and typically assist with carrying out surveillance, information-gathering, and escort duties, as well as local defense; they are based in each of the country's municipalitiesCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Military service age & obligation	generally, 18-35 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; citizens 18-77 years of age are eligible to volunteer for the VDP (2025); note: the military regime implemented an emergency law in 2023 that allows the president extensive powers to combat terrorist groups operating in the country, including conscripting citizens into the security services; the VDP reportedly has been used by the military regime as a platform for the forced recruitment of dissidents and activists to silence criticsCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Arms imports (USD)	37,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Arms exports (USD)	No authoritative open source found
Military spending (% of GDP)	4.68 %SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military spending (USD)	1,020,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]