Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 84.5% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2016.

live 17.2 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 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 96.6% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,500 as of 2023.

be 45.7% more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.3% as of 2023.

be 2.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.

Life

have 2.6 times more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 12.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.

be 9.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 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 United States, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, 20% of the population do as of 2022.

be 76.1% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

be 21.4% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In United States, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 64.4% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% 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.
Read more

How big is Burkina Faso compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Burkina Faso.or United States It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.