Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 69.1% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 22.3 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 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 95.6% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
have 94.3% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 55.1% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
Economy
be 29.9% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
make 96.8% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 6.7 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 60.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, 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.
be 19.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 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 78.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Korea, 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.
be 71.1% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 50.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, 50% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 10.1% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 4.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.8% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 98.2% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 98.8% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 97.6% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.