Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 81.2% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
be 45.6% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 17.6 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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 98.3% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
have 96.0% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 53.5% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
Economy
be 17.1% less likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
make 98.7% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.0 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 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 7.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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 United States, 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 70.2% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% 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 United States, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 53.3% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 95.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 72.2% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 97.8% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 99.0% less electricity
United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 98.0% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 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: United States vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.