Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

be 53.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2020.

live 4.7 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 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.

be 35.6% less likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 47.1% more money

Sierra Leone 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 23.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.

be 66.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.3% as of 2023.

Life

be 40.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 443.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.

be 32.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 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 73.2% more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

be 33.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 29% of people have electricity access (57% in urban areas, and 5% 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.

Expenditures

spend 39.6% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 23.9% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% 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 Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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