Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
have 14.3% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
live 6.3 years less
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 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 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
be 40.0% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 23.0% more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
be 30.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.
Life
be 24.1% more likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 195.0 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 31.2% less likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.
be 26.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Ethiopia, approximately 34.5 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.
Basic Needs
be 28.8% more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 60.8% less likely to have access to electricity
In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 22% of people on average (63% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 56% of people have access to drinking water (83% in urban areas, and 47% 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 2.3 times more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 57.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 44.1% more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 75.8% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 18.5% more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 82.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, it causes 84.0 as of 2019.
emit 80.0% more CO2
Ethiopia 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 (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.