With average annual GDP of US$ 204 per capita, Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Almost half the population live below the absolute poverty threshold and in rural areas, where today over 90 percent of the people are hit by poverty. As women in Burkina Faso have virtually no access to education and training, to capital or paid employment, they are the main victims of this situation.

The country has virtually no natural resources, and its economic development depends essentially on agriculture (cotton is the main export) and livestock farming. In 2005 Burkina Faso had 13.2 million inhabitants, with annual population growth of 3.1 percent. Around half of the country's inhabitants are below 15. In 2006, the literacy rate for adults was 21.8 percent.

German Development Cooperation has been operating in Burkina Faso since 1973.

Currently, GTZ’s work is focused on the priority areas of agriculture, decentralisation and water. In addition, a programme is being implemented on the theme “Reproductive health, human rights, women’s rights, and combating the worst forms of child labour and traffic in children”.
 
The projects listed concentrate on two regions, the south-west and east of the country. Another project, entitled “Advisory services to the ministry for economics and development and the ministry for finance and the budget”, is located in Ouagadougou and concentrates on providing macroeconomic analytical tools and background data for various partners.

In addition, GTZ-IS is currently implementing two projects in the area of agriculture for the Taiwanese Government in Burkina Faso, one on fisheries and another on converting sorghum into high-quality alcohol.

GTZ cooperation partners are the KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW development bank), the German Development Service (DED), Capacity Building International (InWEnt) and the Centrum für internationale Migration und Entwicklung (CIM). GTZ also closely coordinates its activities with international bilateral and multilateral donors (Netherlands, Denmark, France, Canada, EU).

Since 1987, GTZ has maintained an office in the capital of Ouagadougou.