🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
Republic, military juntaClosed autocracy
Ibrahim Traoré
President · 1,472 days in office
How the political system works in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is governed as a republic with a military junta. Its president, Ibrahim Traoré, has led the country since Oct 6, 2022. Burkina Faso has had 13 presidents since 1966. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as a closed autocracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Blaise Compaoré
9,878 days
Shortest-serving
Honoré Traoré
1 days
Average tenure
1,595 days
Ibrahim Traoré: 8% below average
Female leaders
0 of 13
All male to date
Recent presidents by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Burkina Faso?
Across 13 completed terms, the average president of Burkina Faso has served 1,595 days (about 4.4 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 515 days. The last leader to beat the average was Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who left office in 2022.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All presidents of Burkina Faso
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 |  Ibrahim Traoré | Sep 30, 2022 | Incumbent | 1,478 |
| 13 |  Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba | Jan 24, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | 249 |
| 12 |  Roch Marc Christian Kaboré | Dec 29, 2015 | Jan 24, 2022 | 2,218 |
| 11 |  Michel Kafando | Sep 23, 2015 | Dec 29, 2015 | 97 |
| 10 |  Chérif Sy | Sep 17, 2015 | Sep 23, 2015 | 6 |
| 9 |  Gilbert Diendéré | Sep 17, 2015 | Sep 23, 2015 | 6 |
| 8 | Michel Kafando | Nov 18, 2014 | Sep 17, 2015 | 303 |
| 7 |  Yacouba Isaac Zida | Nov 1, 2014 | Nov 18, 2014 | 17 |
| 6 |  Honoré Traoré | Oct 31, 2014 | Nov 1, 2014 | 1 |
| 5 |  Blaise Compaoré | Oct 15, 1987 | Oct 31, 2014 | 9,878 |
| 4 |  Thomas Sankara | Aug 4, 1983 | Oct 15, 1987 | 1,533 |
| 3 |  Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo | Nov 8, 1982 | Aug 4, 1983 | 269 |
| 2 |  Saye Zerbo | Nov 25, 1980 | Nov 7, 1982 | 712 |
| 1 |  Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana | Jan 3, 1966 | Nov 25, 1980 | 5,440 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the President of Burkina Faso?
- Ibrahim Traoré has been President of Burkina Faso since Oct 6, 2022.
- How is the leader of Burkina Faso chosen?
- Burkina Faso is governed as a republic with a military junta. Its president, Ibrahim Traoré, has led the country since Oct 6, 2022. Burkina Faso has had 13 presidents since 1966. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as a closed autocracy.
- Who is the longest-serving President of Burkina Faso?
- Blaise Compaoré, with 9,878 days in office.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Burkina Faso?
- Across 13 completed terms, the average president of Burkina Faso has served 1,595 days (about 4.4 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 515 days. The last leader to beat the average was Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who left office in 2022.
- Has Burkina Faso ever had a female president?
- No. All 13 presidents of Burkina Faso to date have been men.