Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:

Health

be 84.2% less likely to be obese

In Saudi Arabia, 35.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2016.

live 13.2 years less

In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (75 years for men, 78 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 95.0% less money

Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $49,600 as of 2023, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,500 as of 2023.

Life

have 2.3 times more children

In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 13.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 16.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 16.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.

be 52.9% less likely to be literate

In Saudi Arabia, the literacy rate is 97.6% as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, it is 46.0% as of 2021.

be 4.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 12.3 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 80.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 98% 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 78.0% less likely to have internet access

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

be 21.5% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 78% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 29.5% less on education

Saudi Arabia spends 7.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 17.5% more on healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. 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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