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

Health

be 81.7% less likely to be obese

In Qatar, 42.0% 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 21.2 years less

In Qatar, the average life expectancy is 83 years (82 years for men, 83 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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see 92.3% less spent on your healthcare

Qatar spends $2,901 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.

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have 95.1% fewer doctors per person

Qatar has 30.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.

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have 47.4% less access to essential health services

Qatar scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.

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be 80.9% more likely to die by suicide

Qatar has a suicide rate of 4.7 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

be 26.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Qatar, 0.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.

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make 98.4% less money

Qatar has a GDP per capita of $72,525 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.3 times more children

In Qatar, there are approximately 9.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 60.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Qatar, approximately 4.0 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 9.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Qatar, approximately 4.8 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 78.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Qatar, 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.

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be 71.2% less likely to have internet access

In Qatar, approximately 98.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.

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be 50.0% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Qatar, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, 50% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 65.0% more on education

Qatar spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 3.1 times more on healthcare

Qatar spends 2.5% 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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Safety

be 3.8 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Qatar, road accidents kill 7.3 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

live with 98.2% less strain on fresh water

Qatar withdraws 431% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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find 92.8% less home broadband

Qatar has 11.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.

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use 99.3% less electricity

Qatar uses 19,963 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 99.4% less CO2

Qatar emits 47.3 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 (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (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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