Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Burkina Faso fits inside Mali 4.5 times.
Burkina Faso: 274,200 km² (2023) · Mali: 1,240,190 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Burkina Faso: 0 km (2026 edition) · Mali: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Mali’s highest peak towers 406 m above Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 749 m (2026 edition) · Mali: 1,155 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Mali has 5% more people than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 24.1 million (2025) · Mali: 25.2 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Burkina Faso is 4.3 times as densely populated as Mali.
Burkina Faso: 88 per km² (2025) · Mali: 21 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Mali are 3.1 cm taller than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 171.9 cm (2019) · Mali: 175 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Mali and Burkina Faso are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 161.3 cm (2019) · Mali: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Burkina Faso is 1.8 years older than in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 17.3 years (2023) · Mali: 15.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Mali have 1.4 more children on average than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 4.11 children per woman (2024) · Mali: 5.51 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Burkina Faso and Mali are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 2.7% (2025) · Mali: 2.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Burkina Faso and Mali are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 0 (2025) · Mali: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Burkina Faso and Mali are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 1 (2026) · Mali: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Mali’s economy is 9% larger than Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: $27.6 billion (2025) · Mali: $30.1 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Mali produces 14% more per person than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: Int$3,072 (2025) · Mali: Int$3,503 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Burkina Faso than in Mali (Gini 1.7 points higher).
Burkina Faso: 37.4 (2021) · Mali: 35.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in Burkina Faso, versus 2.8% in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 3.5% (2025) · Mali: 2.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Burkina Faso and Mali are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 4.7% (2024) · Mali: 4.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Burkina Faso’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Mali’s.
Burkina Faso: 37% (2025) · Mali: 34% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Burkina Faso spends 2.1 times as much on health per person as Mali.
Burkina Faso: $72 (2023) · Mali: $34 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Burkina Faso live 0.62 years longer than in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 61.3 years (2024) · Mali: 60.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Mali is 9% more likely to die before turning one than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 43.6 per 1,000 (2024) · Mali: 47.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Mali has 27% more doctors per person than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Mali: 0.2 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in Mali are obese, versus 7.0% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 7% (2024) · Mali: 11.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Burkina Faso smoke, versus 7.4% in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 11.6% (2024) · Mali: 7.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Mali rate their lives 0.13 points higher than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 4.46 (2025) · Mali: 4.59 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Burkina Faso drink 2.5 times as much alcohol as in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 4.9 litres (2023) · Mali: 2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Burkina Faso has 3.1 times as much meat per person as Mali.
Burkina Faso: 23.1 kg (2023) · Mali: 7.5 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Burkina Faso has 56 kcal more food per person per day than Mali.
Burkina Faso: 2,791 kcal (2023) · Mali: 2,734 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Burkina Faso put in 114 more hours a year than in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 2,356 hours (2023) · Mali: 2,243 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Burkina Faso went to school 0.64 years longer than in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 2.3 years (2023) · Mali: 1.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Mali welcomed 84% more tourists per resident than Burkina Faso (2019).
Burkina Faso: 0.01 (2024) · Mali: 0.01 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
37% of people in Mali are online, versus 28% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 28% (2024) · Mali: 37% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
50% of people in Mali have electricity, versus 34% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 34% (2024) · Mali: 49.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
32% of people in Mali live in cities, versus 29% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 29% (2025) · Mali: 32% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Burkina Faso has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Mali 112.
Burkina Faso: 117 (2024) · Mali: 112 (2022)
How much railway is there?
Mali’s railway network is 14% longer than Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 518 km (2021) · Mali: 593 km (2014)
How much do they fly?
Burkina Faso: 0 (2023) · Mali: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 22% of Burkina Faso, but only 11% of Mali.
Burkina Faso: 22.2% (2023) · Mali: 10.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Mali emits 3% more CO₂ than someone in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.3 t (2024) · Mali: 0.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
19% of Mali’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 17.2% (2024) · Mali: 19.5% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Burkina Faso carries 12% more fine dust than in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 34.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Mali: 31 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Burkina Faso are 38% deadlier than in Mali.
Burkina Faso: 27.8 per 100k (2021) · Mali: 20.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Mali is on average 0.2 °C warmer than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 29.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Mali: 29.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Burkina Faso gets 2.4 times as much rain as Mali.
Burkina Faso: 610 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Mali: 249 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Burkina Faso bigger than Mali?
Mali is larger. Burkina Faso fits inside Mali 4.5 times.
Which has more people, Burkina Faso or Mali?
Mali has 5% more people than Burkina Faso (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Burkina Faso or Mali?
People in Burkina Faso live 0.62 years longer than in Mali. Life expectancy at birth is 61.3 years in Burkina Faso and 60.7 in Mali.
Are people taller in Burkina Faso or Mali?
Men in Mali are 3.1 cm taller than in Burkina Faso (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
