Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.7 years less

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 72.2% less money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,200 as of 2022.

be 32.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.1% as of 2022.

be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 41.4% as of 2018.

Life

have 61.1% more children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.

be 47.2% less likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 46.0% as of 2021.

be 30.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 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 81.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In Laos, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, that number is 19% of people on average (68% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 64.5% less likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

be 11.6% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Laos, approximately 89% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 84% 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 2.4 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.5 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, that number is 6.7% of GDP 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 Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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