Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 16.2% less likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
see 81.6% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
live 7.9 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 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.
have 55.3% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 23.1% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
be 85.6% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 2.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.
make 50.6% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 49.7% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 112.0 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 45.0% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.
be 60.3% more likely to die during infancy
In Laos, approximately 27.2 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 77.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 95% 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 56.9% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 47.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 93% 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 4.3 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 5.9 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 69.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 68.8% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 63.3% more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 92.0% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 91.9% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 21.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, it causes 84.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.