Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 91.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

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

live 9.0 years less

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 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 47.1% more money

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

be 14.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

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

Life

be 30.7% less likely to die during childbirth

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

have 19.9% more children

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

be 31.6% less likely to be literate

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

be 47.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 33.4 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 39.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 14% of people have electricity access (54% in urban areas, and 6% 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 14.7% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Malawi, approximately 92% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 91% 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 89.7% more on education

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

spend 24.1% more on healthcare

Malawi spends 5.4% 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 Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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