If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:

Health

live 1.6 years longer

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 63 years (62 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022.

be 16.4% less likely to be obese

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 100.0% more money

Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $1,100 as of 2020, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,200 as of 2020.

be 34.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 63.0% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 41.4% as of 2018.

Life

be 32.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 473.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Burkina Faso, 320.0 women do as of 2017.

be 18.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 60.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, on the other hand, 49.4 children do as of 2022.

be 49.0% less likely to be literate

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 77.0% as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, it is 39.3% as of 2018.

have 16.2% fewer children

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, there are 33.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 2.4 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 9% of people have electricity access (19% in urban areas, and 0% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, that number is 22% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 57.1% more likely to have internet access

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 14.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2020.

be 32.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 59% of people have improved drinking water access (89% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 3.9 times more on education

Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 1.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2017. Burkina Faso spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 57.1% more on healthcare

Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2019.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Burkina Faso: At a glance

Burkina Faso is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 273,800 sq km. Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. There have been increasing protests over the belief that the president may try to run for a currently unconstitutional third term in the 2015 presidential elections. Burkina Faso's high population growth and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.
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How big is Burkina Faso compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.

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