Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burkina Faso instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

be 73.7% less likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2016.

live 6.0 years less

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 63 years (62 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 42.1% less money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $3,800 as of 2022, while in Burkina Faso, the GDP per capita is $2,200 as of 2022.

be 82.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, that number is 5.1% as of 2022.

be 11.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Burkina Faso, however, that number is 41.4% as of 2018.

Life

have 13.5% more children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burkina Faso, there are 31.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 37.5% more likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 192.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, 264.0 women do as of 2020.

be 28.3% less likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Burkina Faso, it is 46.0% as of 2021.

be 47.1% more likely to die during infancy

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Burkina Faso, on the other hand, 49.4 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 65.3% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 31.2% less likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burkina Faso, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 3.9 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Burkina Faso spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.7 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Burkina Faso, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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