If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Timor-Leste, you would:

Health

live 6.6 years less

In Timor-Leste, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 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 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Timor-Leste, 3.6% 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 51.4% less spent on your healthcare

Timor-Leste spends $461 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.

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have 80.3% fewer doctors per person

Timor-Leste has 7.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.

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have 23.1% less access to essential health services

Timor-Leste scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.

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be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide

Timor-Leste has a suicide rate of 3.6 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 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Timor-Leste, 1.6% 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 14.4% less money

Timor-Leste has a GDP per capita of $1,341 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.

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Life

have 44.0% more children

In Timor-Leste, there are approximately 21.8 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 26.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Timor-Leste, approximately 192.0 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 40.1% less likely to be literate

In Timor-Leste, the literacy rate is 69.4% as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.

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be 26.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Timor-Leste, approximately 34.6 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 Timor-Leste, 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 30.7% less likely to have internet access

In Timor-Leste, approximately 40.8% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.

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be 42.7% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Timor-Leste, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 82% 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 18.8% less on healthcare

Timor-Leste spends 9.6% 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 69.3% less likely to be murdered

Timor-Leste has a homicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Burkina Faso, that number is 1.2 per 100,000 as of 2017.

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be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Timor-Leste, road accidents kill 12.0 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 85.0 times more home broadband

Timor-Leste has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.

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live with 72.3% less strain on fresh water

Timor-Leste withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 46.0% less CO2

Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 37.7% more likely to die from air pollution

In Timor-Leste, air pollution causes 61.0 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 (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), 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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