Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malawi instead of Burkina Faso, you would:

Health

live 9.0 years longer

In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 63 years (62 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 11.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Burkina Faso, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 32.0% less money

Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2023.

be 17.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Burkina Faso, 43.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malawi, however, that number is 50.7% as of 2019.

Life

be 46.3% more likely to be literate

In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 46.0% as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.

be 32.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Burkina Faso, approximately 49.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malawi, on the other hand, 33.4 children do as of 2022.

be 44.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In Burkina Faso, approximately 264.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Malawi, 381.0 women do as of 2020.

have 16.6% fewer children

In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 26.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Burkina Faso, approximately 78% of people have improved drinking water access (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 28.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In Burkina Faso, approximately 20% of people have electricity access (68% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 14% of people on average (54% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 47.3% less on education

Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malawi spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 19.4% less on healthcare

Burkina Faso spends 6.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
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