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

Health

be 56.8% less likely to be obese

In Sudan, 17.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.

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see 7.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Sudan spends $28 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.

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live 5.2 years less

In Sudan, the average life expectancy is 67 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.

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be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide

Sudan has a suicide rate of 3.2 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 69.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Sudan, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 67.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In Sudan, approximately 66% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 54% 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 22.9% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Sudan, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (74% in urban areas, and 60% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 2.7 times more on healthcare

Sudan spends 2.9% 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 41.8% more likely to die in a road accident

In Sudan, road accidents kill 19.6 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

find 14.2 times more home broadband

Sudan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.

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live with 93.4% less strain on fresh water

Sudan withdraws 119% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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use 40.1% less electricity

Sudan uses 223 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 37.2% less CO2

Sudan emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 20.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Sudan, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Burkina Faso, it causes 84.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2023). 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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How big is Burkina Faso compared to Sudan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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