Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of El Salvador, you would:

Health

be 77.2% less likely to be obese

In El Salvador, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2016.

live 11.9 years less

In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 63 years (62 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 77.9% less money

El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $11,300 as of 2023, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,500 as of 2023.

be 91.7% more likely to be unemployed

In El Salvador, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.3% as of 2023.

be 62.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In El Salvador, 26.6% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.

Life

have 86.5% more children

In El Salvador, there are approximately 17.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 6.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In El Salvador, approximately 43.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.

be 48.4% less likely to be literate

In El Salvador, the literacy rate is 89.1% as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, it is 46.0% as of 2021.

be 4.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In El Salvador, approximately 12.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, on the other hand, 49.4 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 80.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In El Salvador, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 20% of people on average (68% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 65.1% less likely to have internet access

In El Salvador, approximately 63.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

be 20.1% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In El Salvador, approximately 98% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 32.3% less on healthcare

El Salvador spends 9.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 34.1% more on education

El Salvador spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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

Burkina Faso: At a glance

Burkina Faso is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 273,800 sq km. Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. There have been increasing protests over the belief that the president may try to run for a currently unconstitutional third term in the 2015 presidential elections. Burkina Faso's high population growth and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.
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How big is Burkina Faso compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.

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