Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ivory Coast is 18% bigger than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 274,200 km² (2023) · Ivory Coast: 322,460 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Burkina Faso: 0 km (2026 edition) · Ivory Coast: 515 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Ivory Coast’s highest peak towers 1,003 m above Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 749 m (2026 edition) · Ivory Coast: 1,752 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Ivory Coast has 36% more people than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 24.1 million (2025) · Ivory Coast: 32.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Ivory Coast is 17% more densely populated than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 88 per km² (2025) · Ivory Coast: 103 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Burkina Faso are 3.7 cm taller than in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 171.9 cm (2019) · Ivory Coast: 168.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Burkina Faso are 2.7 cm taller than in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 161.3 cm (2019) · Ivory Coast: 158.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Ivory Coast is 0.84 years older than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 17.3 years (2023) · Ivory Coast: 18.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ivory Coast have 0.1 more children on average than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 4.11 children per woman (2024) · Ivory Coast: 4.23 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 2.7% (2025) · Ivory Coast: 2.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 0 (2025) · Ivory Coast: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 1 (2026) · Ivory Coast: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Ivory Coast’s economy is 3.6 times the size of Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: $27.6 billion (2025) · Ivory Coast: $99.8 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ivory Coast produces 2.7 times as much per person as Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: Int$3,072 (2025) · Ivory Coast: Int$8,209 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Burkina Faso than in Ivory Coast (Gini 2.1 points higher).
Burkina Faso: 37.4 (2021) · Ivory Coast: 35.3 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in Burkina Faso, versus 2.3% in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 3.5% (2025) · Ivory Coast: 2.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Burkina Faso spends 4.7% of its GDP on the military, Ivory Coast 0.8%.
Burkina Faso: 4.7% (2024) · Ivory Coast: 0.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast are nearly identical here.
Burkina Faso: 37% (2025) · Ivory Coast: 37% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ivory Coast spends 22% more on health per person than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: $72 (2023) · Ivory Coast: $88 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Ivory Coast live 0.82 years longer than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 61.3 years (2024) · Ivory Coast: 62.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ivory Coast is 3% more likely to die before turning one than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 43.6 per 1,000 (2024) · Ivory Coast: 44.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ivory Coast has 12% more doctors per person than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Ivory Coast: 0.2 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in Ivory Coast are obese, versus 7.0% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 7% (2024) · Ivory Coast: 12% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Burkina Faso smoke, versus 7.3% in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 11.6% (2024) · Ivory Coast: 7.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Ivory Coast rate their lives 0.69 points higher than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 4.46 (2025) · Ivory Coast: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Burkina Faso drink 18% more alcohol than in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 4.9 litres (2023) · Ivory Coast: 4.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Burkina Faso has 92% more meat per person than Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 23.1 kg (2023) · Ivory Coast: 12 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ivory Coast has 147 kcal more food per person per day than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2,791 kcal (2023) · Ivory Coast: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Burkina Faso put in 253 more hours a year than in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 2,356 hours (2023) · Ivory Coast: 2,103 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Ivory Coast went to school 2.6 years longer than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2.3 years (2023) · Ivory Coast: 4.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Burkina Faso: 0.01 (2024) · Ivory Coast: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
41% of people in Ivory Coast are online, versus 28% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 28% (2024) · Ivory Coast: 41% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
73% of people in Ivory Coast have electricity, versus 34% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 34% (2024) · Ivory Coast: 72.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
55% of people in Ivory Coast live in cities, versus 29% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 29% (2025) · Ivory Coast: 55% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Ivory Coast has 184 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Burkina Faso 117.
Burkina Faso: 117 (2024) · Ivory Coast: 184 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Ivory Coast’s railway network is 23% longer than Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 518 km (2021) · Ivory Coast: 639 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ivory Coast fly 5.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0 (2023) · Ivory Coast: 0.02 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 22% of Burkina Faso, but only 7.9% of Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 22.2% (2023) · Ivory Coast: 7.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Ivory Coast emits 68% more CO₂ than someone in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.3 t (2024) · Ivory Coast: 0.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
29% of Ivory Coast’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 17.2% (2024) · Ivory Coast: 28.9% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Burkina Faso carries 71% more fine dust than in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 34.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Ivory Coast: 20.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Burkina Faso are 35% deadlier than in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 27.8 per 100k (2021) · Ivory Coast: 20.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Burkina Faso is on average 2.3 °C warmer than Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso: 29.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ivory Coast: 26.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ivory Coast gets 2 times as much rain as Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 610 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ivory Coast: 1,226 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Burkina Faso bigger than Ivory Coast?
Ivory Coast is larger. Ivory Coast is 18% bigger than Burkina Faso.
Which has more people, Burkina Faso or Ivory Coast?
Ivory Coast has 36% more people than Burkina Faso (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Burkina Faso or Ivory Coast?
People in Ivory Coast live 0.82 years longer than in Burkina Faso. Life expectancy at birth is 61.3 years in Burkina Faso and 62.1 in Ivory Coast.
Are people taller in Burkina Faso or Ivory Coast?
Men in Burkina Faso are 3.7 cm taller than in Ivory Coast (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
