Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 6.3 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 62.0% less likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 28.6% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 61.7% less spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 12.5% less access to essential health services
Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 23.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burkina Faso, 43.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 18.7% less money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
be 19.4% 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 Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.4% more likely to be literate
In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 41.6% as of 2023. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 20.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Burkina Faso, approximately 43.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.6 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 Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 11.2% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 56% of people on average (83% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 22.3% less likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 56.8% less on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 64.1% less on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 36.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 30.6% less home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 4.1 times more strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
use 15.6% less electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 45.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 44.4% less CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.