Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 13.8 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
have 75.0% more access to essential health services
Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
be 50.1% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.5 times more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.8 times more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
be 44.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 75.2% 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 Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 78.4% 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 Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
have 38.9% fewer children
In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nicaragua, there are 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 4.1 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 Nicaragua, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nicaragua, about 61.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 46.2% less on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 51.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.8 times more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
live with 71.6% less strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 4.8 times more electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 54.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.1 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 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. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.