If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Bolivia, you would:

Health

be 74.1% less likely to be obese

In Bolivia, 29.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 7.4 years less

In Bolivia, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 70.4% less spent on your healthcare

Bolivia spends $756 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.

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have 88.5% fewer doctors per person

Bolivia has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.

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have 38.5% less access to essential health services

Bolivia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.

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be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Bolivia has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 17.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Bolivia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.

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make 77.7% less money

Bolivia has a GDP per capita of $5,148 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.

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Life

have 49.0% more children

In Bolivia, there are approximately 21.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 65.8% more likely to die during childbirth

In Bolivia, approximately 146.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, 242.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 57.0% less likely to be literate

In Bolivia, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.

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be 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Bolivia, approximately 14.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, on the other hand, 43.6 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 78.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Bolivia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 22% of people on average (63% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 64.6% less likely to have internet access

In Bolivia, approximately 79.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.

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be 46.5% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Bolivia, approximately 93% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 50% of people on average (81% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 29.3% less on education

Bolivia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 12.7% more on healthcare

Bolivia spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 58.0% more likely to die in a road accident

In Bolivia, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 93.0% less home broadband

Bolivia has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.

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live with 39.1 times more strain on fresh water

Bolivia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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use 85.0% less electricity

Bolivia uses 890 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 88.2% less CO2

Bolivia emits 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 55.6% more likely to die from air pollution

In Bolivia, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, it causes 84.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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 Bolivia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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