Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
see 3.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
live 0.8 years less
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024.
be 14.9% more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
have 28.8% fewer doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
Economy
be 21.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 23.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 56.2% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.
make 42.2% more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
be 43.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, 242.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, on the other hand, 43.6 children do as of 2024.
be 39.3% less likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.
have 23.3% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 43.6% more likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 40.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 50% of people on average (81% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 87.7% more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 70.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 16.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 28.3 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 34.0 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
be 16.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, it causes 84.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.5 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Burkina Faso
MORE COMPARISONS
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.