Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Burkina Faso is 15% bigger than Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 274,200 km² (2023) · Ghana: 238,539 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Burkina Faso: 0 km (2026 edition) · Ghana: 539 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Ghana’s highest peak towers 136 m above Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 749 m (2026 edition) · Ghana: 885 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Ghana has 46% more people than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 24.1 million (2025) · Ghana: 35.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Ghana is 75% more densely populated than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 88 per km² (2025) · Ghana: 154 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Burkina Faso are 1.6 cm taller than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 171.9 cm (2019) · Ghana: 170.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Burkina Faso are 2.5 cm taller than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 161.3 cm (2019) · Ghana: 158.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Ghana is 3.7 years older than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 17.3 years (2023) · Ghana: 20.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Burkina Faso have 0.8 more children on average than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 4.11 children per woman (2024) · Ghana: 3.34 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
3.8% of people in Ghana are 65 or older, versus 2.7% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2.7% (2025) · Ghana: 3.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ghana has produced 0.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Burkina Faso 0.0.
Burkina Faso: 0 (2025) · Ghana: 0.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Burkina Faso and Ghana are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 1 (2026) · Ghana: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Ghana’s economy is 4.1 times the size of Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: $27.6 billion (2025) · Ghana: $114 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ghana produces 2.8 times as much per person as Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: Int$3,072 (2025) · Ghana: Int$8,610 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Ghana than in Burkina Faso (Gini 6.1 points higher).
Burkina Faso: 37.4 (2021) · Ghana: 43.5 (2016)
How many people are looking for work?
Burkina Faso and Ghana are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 3.5% (2025) · Ghana: 3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Burkina Faso spends 4.7% of its GDP on the military, Ghana 0.4%.
Burkina Faso: 4.7% (2024) · Ghana: 0.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ghana’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 37% (2025) · Ghana: 38% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Burkina Faso spends 2% more on health per person than Ghana.
Burkina Faso: $72 (2023) · Ghana: $70 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Ghana live 4.4 years longer than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 61.3 years (2024) · Ghana: 65.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Burkina Faso is 59% more likely to die before turning one than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 43.6 per 1,000 (2024) · Ghana: 27.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ghana has 80% more doctors per person than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Ghana: 0.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
14% of adults in Ghana are obese, versus 7.0% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 7% (2024) · Ghana: 13.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Burkina Faso smoke, versus 3.3% in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 11.6% (2024) · Ghana: 3.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Ghana rate their lives 0.10 points higher than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 4.46 (2025) · Ghana: 4.55 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Burkina Faso drink 91% more alcohol than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 4.9 litres (2023) · Ghana: 2.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Burkina Faso has 33% more meat per person than Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 23.1 kg (2023) · Ghana: 17.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ghana has 334 kcal more food per person per day than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2,791 kcal (2023) · Ghana: 3,125 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Burkina Faso put in 701 more hours a year than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 2,356 hours (2023) · Ghana: 1,656 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Ghana went to school 4.8 years longer than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2.3 years (2023) · Ghana: 7.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ghana welcomed 4.9 times as many tourists per resident as Burkina Faso (2019).
Burkina Faso: 0.01 (2024) · Ghana: 0.03 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
72% of people in Ghana are online, versus 28% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 28% (2024) · Ghana: 72% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
92% of people in Ghana have electricity, versus 34% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 34% (2024) · Ghana: 91.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
59% of people in Ghana live in cities, versus 29% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 29% (2025) · Ghana: 59% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Burkina Faso has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ghana 114.
Burkina Faso: 117 (2024) · Ghana: 114 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Ghana’s railway network is 83% longer than Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 518 km (2021) · Ghana: 947 km (2022)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ghana fly 2.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0 (2023) · Ghana: 0.01 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 35% of Ghana, but only 22% of Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 22.2% (2023) · Ghana: 35.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Ghana emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.3 t (2024) · Ghana: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
36% of Ghana’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 17.2% (2024) · Ghana: 36.2% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Burkina Faso carries 23% more fine dust than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 34.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Ghana: 28.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Burkina Faso: no data · Ghana: 1.8 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Burkina Faso are 7% deadlier than in Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 27.8 per 100k (2021) · Ghana: 25.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Burkina Faso is on average 1.1 °C warmer than Ghana.
Burkina Faso: 29.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ghana: 27.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ghana gets 83% more rain than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 610 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ghana: 1,118 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Burkina Faso bigger than Ghana?
Burkina Faso is larger. Burkina Faso is 15% bigger than Ghana.
Which has more people, Burkina Faso or Ghana?
Ghana has 46% more people than Burkina Faso (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Burkina Faso or Ghana?
People in Ghana live 4.4 years longer than in Burkina Faso. Life expectancy at birth is 61.3 years in Burkina Faso and 65.7 in Ghana.
Are people taller in Burkina Faso or Ghana?
Men in Burkina Faso are 1.6 cm taller than in Ghana (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
