Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burundi instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

be 20.6% less likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burundi, that number is 5.4% of people as of 2016.

live 4.3 years less

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Burundi, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 69.0% less likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Burundi, that number is 0.9% as of 2023.

make 47.1% less money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Burundi, the GDP per capita is $900 as of 2023.

Life

have 2.6 times more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burundi, there are 34.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burundi, 494.0 women do as of 2020.

be 25.3% less likely to be literate

In North Korea, the literacy rate is 100.0% as of 2015. In Burundi, it is 74.7% as of 2021.

be 70.4% more likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Burundi, on the other hand, 37.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 81.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Burundi, that number is 10% of people on average (63% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 13.7% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In North Korea, approximately 94% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Burundi, that number is 82% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2020.

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

Burundi: At a glance

Burundi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 25,680 sq km. Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The government of President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, who was reelected in 2010, continues to face many political and economic challenges.
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