Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burundi instead of Iowa, you would:

Health

live 10.1 years less

In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Burundi, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

be 71.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Burundi, that number is 0.9% as of 2023.

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make 98.6% less money

Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Burundi, the GDP per capita is $900 as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 93.4% less likely to have internet access

In Iowa, approximately 87.9% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Burundi, about 5.8% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Iowa vs. Burundi
Cost of Living Comparison · 6 categories - 2026 data
Burundi is 34.0% cheaper than Iowa
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Size Comparison · See true size
Iowa is about 5 times bigger than Burundi.
→

Burundi: At a glance

Burundi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 25,680 sq km. Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The government of President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, who was reelected in 2010, continues to face many political and economic challenges.
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How big is Burundi compared to Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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