Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 20.1 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 29.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 22.3 times more doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
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. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 3.6 times more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
be 12.4% more likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 50.2 times more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
be 36.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 96.7% 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 United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 90.6% 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 United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 68.4% fewer children
In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 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 United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Kingdom, about 95.5% 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 (81% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 10.9% more on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 42.7% more on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 91.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 49.6 times more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
use 31.5 times more electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.
live with 83.5% more strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
Environment
be 84.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 15.6 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 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. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.