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

Health

live 4.9 years longer

In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Djibouti, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 42.6% more doctors per person

Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Djibouti has 2.1 as of 2022.

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have 10.0% more access to essential health services

Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Djibouti scores 44 as of 2021.

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be 51.5% more likely to be obese

In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Djibouti, that number is 11.7% of people as of 2024.

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see 30.8% less spent on your healthcare

Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Djibouti spends $155 as of 2023.

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Economy

make 3.4 times more money

Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Djibouti, the GDP per capita is $3,906 as of 2025.

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be 7.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Djibouti, that number is 26.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 33.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Burkina Faso, approximately 242.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Djibouti, 162.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 33.2% fewer children

In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Djibouti, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 3.0 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Burkina Faso, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (63% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Djibouti, that number is 65% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 37% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Djibouti, about 65.3% do as of 2024.

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be 59.3% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Burkina Faso, approximately 50% of people have access to drinking water (81% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Djibouti, that number is 80% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 62% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 70.8% less on healthcare

Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Djibouti, that number is 2.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 16.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Djibouti, they kill 23.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 72.9% more home broadband

Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Djibouti has 1.5 as of 2023.

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live with 19.1% less strain on fresh water

Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Djibouti withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 29.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Djibouti, it causes 59.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.9 times more CO2

Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Djibouti emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Djibouti: At a glance

Djibouti is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 23,180 sq km. The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afar minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to begin a third term in 2011. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and serves as an important shipping portal for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands and transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, and has strong ties with the United States. Djibouti hosts several thousand members of US armed services at US-run Camp Lemonnier.
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How big is Djibouti compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.

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