Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mauritania instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 7.4 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 34.8% more spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mauritania spends $302 as of 2023.
have 76.4% more doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Mauritania has 2.6 as of 2022.
be 68.1% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 26.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burkina Faso, 43.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Mauritania, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2019.
make 91.5% more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $2,198 as of 2025.
be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mauritania, that number is 10.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 61.2% more likely to be literate
In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 41.6% as of 2023. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.
be 30.7% 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 Mauritania, on the other hand, 30.2 children do as of 2024.
be 57.4% 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 Mauritania, 381.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 2.3 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 Mauritania, that number is 50% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 62.1% more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mauritania, about 45.8% do as of 2024.
be 54.6% 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 Mauritania, that number is 77% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.4% less on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 42.8% more on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mauritania spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 20.0% less likely to be murdered
Burkina Faso has a homicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000 people as of 2017. In Mauritania, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2020.
be 65.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mauritania, they kill 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 11.8% more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mauritania has 0.9 as of 2024.
live with 69.4% more strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mauritania withdraws 13% as of 2022.
Environment
be 26.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mauritania, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.6 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. Mauritania
Mauritania: At a glance
How big is Mauritania compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.