Compare
Burkina Faso vs South Africa
How Burkina Faso and South Africa compare on 37 measures, from 1820 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, South Africa was higher: 66.1 years against 61.1 years
- GDP per person · In 2025, South Africa was higher: $5,713 against $787
- Population · In 2023, South Africa was higher: 63.2 million people against 23 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, Burkina Faso was higher: 3.3% of GDP against 0.74% of GDP
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, South Africa was higher: 6.88 tonnes against 0.28 tonnes
- Life expectancyBurkina Faso: 61.1 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- PopulationBurkina Faso: 23 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- GDP per personBurkina Faso: $787 in 2025South Africa: $5,713 in 2025
- TemperatureBurkina Faso: 29.2 °C in 2025South Africa: 18.3 °C in 2025
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyBurkina Faso: 61.1 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBurkina Faso: 7.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBurkina Faso: 52.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBurkina Faso: 3.69% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBurkina Faso: 13.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBurkina Faso: 23 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBurkina Faso: 2.26% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBurkina Faso: 4.19 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBurkina Faso: 28.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBurkina Faso: 17.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBurkina Faso: 2.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBurkina Faso: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personBurkina Faso: $787 in 2025South Africa: $5,713 in 2025
- GDP growthBurkina Faso: 5.3% a year in 2025South Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationBurkina Faso: -0.6% a year in 2025South Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025
- Government debtBurkina Faso: 53.2% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBurkina Faso: 3.3% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBurkina Faso: $844M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBurkina Faso: $37 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBurkina Faso: 13.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBurkina Faso: 11,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerBurkina Faso: 0.09% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBurkina Faso: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBurkina Faso: 34 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, IHME, World Bank, IMF, UNESCO, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, EDGAR, ITU and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time