Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 2.5 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 4.1 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
be 52.9% less likely to die by suicide
Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 78.3% more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
be 14.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 32.9% more likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.1% less likely to be literate
In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 58.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 7.4 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 87.1% more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 22.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 64.9% more on healthcare
Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 95.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.0 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 5.4 times more strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
be 2.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.0 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 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: Burundi vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.