Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Senegal instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 7.6 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Senegal scores 50 as of 2021.
be 20.5% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Senegal, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 50.7% more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
have 26.4% fewer doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Senegal has 1.1 as of 2023.
Economy
be 21.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Senegal, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
be 13.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burkina Faso, 43.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Senegal, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2021.
make 70.3% more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Senegal, the GDP per capita is $1,955 as of 2025.
Life
be 21.1% more likely to be literate
In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 41.6% as of 2023. In Senegal, it is 50.4% as of 2023.
be 33.7% 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 Senegal, on the other hand, 28.9 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.4 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 Senegal, that number is 74% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Senegal, about 60.1% do as of 2024.
be 76.1% 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 Senegal, that number is 88% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.6% less on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Senegal, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 15.6% more on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Senegal spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 78.4% less likely to be murdered
Burkina Faso has a homicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000 people as of 2017. In Senegal, that number is 0.3 per 100,000 as of 2015.
be 25.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Senegal, they kill 20.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.8 times more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Senegal has 4.0 as of 2024.
use 3.1 times more electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Senegal uses 410 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.1 times more strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Senegal withdraws 16% as of 2022.
Environment
be 22.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Senegal, it causes 65.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. Senegal
Senegal: At a glance
How big is Senegal compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.