Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Mexico, you would:
Health
be 79.4% less likely to be obese
In Mexico, 37.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
live 14.0 years less
In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 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 83.6% less spent on your healthcare
Mexico spends $1,368 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
have 94.3% fewer doctors per person
Mexico has 25.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 46.7% less access to essential health services
Mexico scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
be 22.3% more likely to die by suicide
Mexico has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 30.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Mexico, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 45.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Mexico, 29.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.
make 91.7% less money
Mexico has a GDP per capita of $13,889 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.0 times more children
In Mexico, there are approximately 15.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Mexico, approximately 42.0 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 56.5% less likely to be literate
In Mexico, the literacy rate is 95.5% as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.
be 3.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Mexico, approximately 12.1 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 78.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Mexico, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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 66.0% less likely to have internet access
In Mexico, approximately 83.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 49.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Mexico, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 97% 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 31.3% more on education
Mexico spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 41.8% more on healthcare
Mexico 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 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Mexico, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 82.6% less strain on fresh water
Mexico withdraws 45% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 96.1% less home broadband
Mexico has 21.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 95.0% less electricity
Mexico uses 2,658 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 92.6% less CO2
Mexico emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Mexico, air pollution causes 30.0 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: Mexico vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.