Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 4.8 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
have 15.0% more access to essential health services
Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
be 43.4% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Burkina Faso, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
be 61.1% more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
see 58.0% less spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
have 39.2% fewer doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
Economy
be 87.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
be 23.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Burkina Faso, 43.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
make 19.9% less money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
be 24.2% more likely to be literate
In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 41.6% as of 2023. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 25.0% 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 Gambia, on the other hand, 32.7 children do as of 2024.
be 46.3% more 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 Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 3.1 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 Gambia, that number is 67% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 75.2% more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
be 74.2% 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 Gambia, that number is 87% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.3% less on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 62.9% less on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 20.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gambia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 71.7% less strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 38.8% less home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 33.3% less CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.