Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 22.3 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.
see 22.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 17.6 times more doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 2.2 times more access to essential health services
Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 23.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 31.6 times more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 98.3% 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 South Korea, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 94.7% 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 South Korea, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.
have 85.0% fewer children
In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 4.6 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 South Korea, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
be 100.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burkina Faso, approximately 50% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In South Korea, 100% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 11.3% more on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 75.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 56.2 times more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 85.1 times more electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 10.9 times more strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 77.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 42.1 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.