Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 97.1% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 0.5% of people as of 2024.
be 75.8% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
be 61.9% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.0 years less
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 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 83.5% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
have 81.4% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 43.7% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
Economy
be 89.3% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 14.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.
make 82.6% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 69.6% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 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 54.4% less likely to be literate
In South Africa, the literacy rate is 91.2% as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.
be 80.2% more likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 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 75.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% 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 63.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 44.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% 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 11.5% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 12.5% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 13.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 88.4% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 84.1% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 95.9% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 96.1% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 78.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 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: South Africa vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.