Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 4.7 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
have 16.9% more doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.
be 21.1% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 6.4 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.2% of people as of 2024.
be 58.6% more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.2 times more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.
be 5.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 93.9% more likely to be literate
In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 41.6% as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, it is 80.6% as of 2021.
be 38.1% 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.4 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 67.3% more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 47.0% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 37.3% less on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 57.7% less on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 69.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 49.4% more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
live with 99.6% less strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 2.5 times more electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 21.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Republic of the Congo, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.0 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.