If you lived in Burundi instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:

Health

be 87.1% less likely to be obese

In Saudi Arabia, 40.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burundi, that number is 5.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 15.2 years less

In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Burundi, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 97.1% less spent on your healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burundi spends $100 as of 2023.

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have 97.7% fewer doctors per person

Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Burundi has 0.8 as of 2022.

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have 44.6% less access to essential health services

Saudi Arabia scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burundi scores 41 as of 2021.

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be 8.1 times more likely to die by suicide

Saudi Arabia has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burundi, it is 7.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 69.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Saudi Arabia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burundi, that number is 0.9% as of 2025.

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make 99.3% less money

Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in Burundi, the GDP per capita is $234 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.0 times more children

In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burundi, there are 33.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 56.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Burundi, 392.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 23.7% less likely to be literate

In Saudi Arabia, the literacy rate is 97.9% as of 2024. In Burundi, it is 74.7% as of 2021.

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be 6.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 4.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Burundi, on the other hand, 30.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 88.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Burundi, that number is 12% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 91.4% less likely to have internet access

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burundi, about 8.6% do as of 2024.

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be 33.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Burundi, that number is 66% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 59.8% more on healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burundi, that number is 9.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 33.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Saudi Arabia, road accidents kill 18.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burundi, they kill 12.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 6.0 times more likely to be murdered

Saudi Arabia has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burundi, that number is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2016.

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Infrastructure

live with 99.0% less strain on fresh water

Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burundi withdraws 10% as of 2022.

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find 100.0% less home broadband

Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burundi has 0.0 as of 2023.

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Environment

be 22.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Saudi Arabia, air pollution causes 91.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burundi, it causes 71.0 as of 2019.

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emit 99.6% less CO2

Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Burundi: At a glance

Burundi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 25,680 sq km. Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The government of President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, who was reelected in 2010, continues to face many political and economic challenges.
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