Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 80.6% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
live 11.1 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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.
see 73.4% less spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
have 85.5% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 32.2% less access to essential health services
Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 77.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.
make 78.8% less money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 22.5% more children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iraq, approximately 66.0 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 50.5% less likely to be literate
In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Iraq, approximately 20.1 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 78.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Iraq, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 65.3% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 49.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Iraq, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 95% 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 41.0% more on healthcare
Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 29.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 86.9% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 95.2% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 90.3% less electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 94.8% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.