If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Liberia, you would:

Health

be 56.7% less likely to be obese

In Liberia, 17.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 1.0 years less

In Liberia, the average life expectancy is 62 years (61 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.

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have 16.9% fewer doctors per person

Liberia has 1.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.

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have 11.1% less access to essential health services

Liberia scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.

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be 42.4% more likely to die by suicide

Liberia has a suicide rate of 6.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 25.4% more money

Liberia has a GDP per capita of $915 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.

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be 20.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Liberia, 2.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.

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Life

be 61.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Liberia, approximately 628.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, 242.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 31.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Liberia, approximately 63.2 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.

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Basic Needs

be 33.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In Liberia, approximately 32% of people have electricity access (53% in urban areas, and 9% 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.

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be 12.3% less likely to have internet access

In Liberia, approximately 32.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.

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be 36.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Liberia, approximately 79% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 70% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 40.0% less on healthcare

Liberia spends 13.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 2.3 times more on education

Liberia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 81.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In Liberia, road accidents kill 15.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.1 times more home broadband

Liberia has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.

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live with 30.1 times more strain on fresh water

Liberia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 40.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Liberia, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, it causes 84.0 as of 2019.

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emit 80.0% more CO2

Liberia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Burkina Faso: At a glance

Burkina Faso is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 273,800 sq km. Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. There have been increasing protests over the belief that the president may try to run for a currently unconstitutional third term in the 2015 presidential elections. Burkina Faso's high population growth and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.
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How big is Burkina Faso compared to Liberia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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