Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.0 years longer

In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 63 years (62 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022. In Liberia, that number is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.

be 57.1% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Burkina Faso, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Liberia, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2020.

be 76.8% more likely to be obese

In Burkina Faso, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Liberia, that number is 9.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 96.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Burkina Faso, 77.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2004. In Liberia, that number is 2.8% as of 2014.

make 36.4% less money

Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $2,200 as of 2020, while in Liberia, the GDP per capita is $1,400 as of 2020.

be 22.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Burkina Faso, 41.4% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Liberia, however, that number is 50.9% as of 2016.

Life

be 22.9% more likely to be literate

In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 39.3% as of 2018. In Liberia, it is 48.3% as of 2017.

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Burkina Faso, approximately 320.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Liberia, 661.0 women do as of 2017.

Basic Needs

be 18.2% more likely to have internet access

In Burkina Faso, approximately 22.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Liberia, about 26.0% do as of 2020.

be 45.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Burkina Faso, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (69% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Liberia, that number is 12% of people on average (18% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 60.3% less on education

Burkina Faso spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Liberia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 54.5% more on healthcare

Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Liberia, that number is 8.5% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Liberia: At a glance

Liberia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 96,320 sq km. Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendants of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 in a second round vote that was boycotted by the opposition and remains challenged to build Liberia's economy and reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The United Nations Security Council in September 2012 passed Resolution 2066 which calls for a reduction of UN troops in Liberia by half by 2015, bringing the troop total down to fewer than 4000, and challenging Liberia's security sector to fill the gaps.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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