Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
be 54.8% less likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2016.
live 3.6 years less
In Sao Tome and Principe, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 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
be 64.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Sao Tome and Principe, 14.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.1% as of 2022.
be 25.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 41.4% as of 2018.
make 35.3% less money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $3,400 as of 2022, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,200 as of 2022.
Life
have 19.5% more children
In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 80.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 146.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.
be 51.5% less likely to be literate
In Sao Tome and Principe, the literacy rate is 94.8% as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 46.0% as of 2021.
be 11.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 44.4 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 75.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 78% of people have electricity access (80% in urban areas, and 74% 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 56.9% less likely to have internet access
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.
be 20.3% less likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Sao Tome and Principe, 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 10.0% more on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 36.7% more on healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends 4.9% 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
How big is Burkina Faso compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.