Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 13.4 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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.
be 3.2 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2024.
see 67.5% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burkina Faso spends $224 as of 2023.
have 86.6% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Burkina Faso has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 41.2% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burkina Faso scores 40 as of 2021.
be 16.4% more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, it is 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burkina Faso, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 10.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 43.2% as of 2021.
make 77.3% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $1,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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 56.8% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, it is 41.6% as of 2023.
be 3.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 Vietnam, 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 66.4% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, about 28.2% do as of 2024.
be 49.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vietnam, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 98% 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 84.4% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 71.1% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burkina Faso, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 57.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, they kill 27.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 56.9% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burkina Faso withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 96.4% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Burkina Faso has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 94.8% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 93.7% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 61.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 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: Vietnam vs. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: At a glance
How big is Burkina Faso compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.