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

Health

live 4.7 years less

In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 68 years (67 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 46.7% more money

Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2022, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,200 as of 2022.

be 41.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Madagascar, 70.7% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 41.4% as of 2018.

be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Madagascar, 1.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.1% as of 2022.

Life

be 32.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Madagascar, approximately 392.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.

have 15.6% more children

In Madagascar, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 40.5% less likely to be literate

In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 77.3% as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 46.0% as of 2021.

be 26.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Madagascar, approximately 39.0 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 10.0% more likely to have internet access

In Madagascar, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

be 39.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Madagascar, approximately 56% of people have improved drinking water access (85% in urban areas, and 38% 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.

be 46.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In Madagascar, approximately 35% of people have electricity access (73% in urban areas, and 11% 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.

Expenditures

spend 77.4% more on education

Madagascar spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 71.8% more on healthcare

Madagascar spends 3.9% 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 Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.

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