Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Burkina Faso fits inside Niger 4.6 times
Burkina Faso: 274,200 km² (2024) · Niger: 1,267,000 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Burkina Faso: 0 km (2026 edition) · Niger: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Niger’s highest peak towers 1,273 m above Burkina Faso’s
Burkina Faso: 749 m (2026 edition) · Niger: 2,022 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 63% of Burkina Faso, versus 37% of Niger
Burkina Faso: 62.6% (2024) · Niger: 36.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Niger has 16% more people than Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 24.1 million (2025) · Niger: 27.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Burkina Faso is 4 times as densely populated as Niger
Burkina Faso: 88 per km² (2025) · Niger: 22 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Burkina Faso are 1.6 cm taller than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 171.9 cm (2019) · Niger: 170.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Burkina Faso are 1.5 cm taller than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 161.3 cm (2019) · Niger: 159.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Burkina Faso is 2 years older than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 17.3 years (2023) · Niger: 15.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Niger have 1.8 more children on average than in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 4.11 children per woman (2024) · Niger: 5.94 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Burkina Faso and Niger are practically level
Burkina Faso: 2.7% (2025) · Niger: 2.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Niger hosts 8.1 times as many refugees per resident as Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 1.7 per 1,000 (2025) · Niger: 13.8 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Burkina Faso and Niger are practically level
Burkina Faso: 0 (2026) · Niger: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Burkina Faso and Niger are practically level
Burkina Faso: 1 (2026) · Niger: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Burkina Faso’s economy is 28% larger than Niger’s
Burkina Faso: $27.6 billion (2025) · Niger: $21.6 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Burkina Faso produces 41% more per person than Niger
Burkina Faso: Int$3,072 (2025) · Niger: Int$2,177 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Burkina Faso than in Niger (Gini 4.5 points higher)
Burkina Faso: 37.4 (2021) · Niger: 32.9 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
61% of people in Niger live on less than $3 a day, versus 42% in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 42.1% (2021) · Niger: 60.5% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in Burkina Faso, versus 0.4% in Niger
Burkina Faso: 3.5% (2025) · Niger: 0.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Burkina Faso spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Niger 2.1%
Burkina Faso: 3.3% (2025) · Niger: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Burkina Faso: 18.7% (2024) · Niger: no data
How expensive is it?
Burkina Faso’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Niger’s
Burkina Faso: 37% (2025) · Niger: 36% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Burkina Faso spends 2.8 times as much on health per person as Niger
Burkina Faso: $72 (2023) · Niger: $26 (2023)
How long do people live?
Niger and Burkina Faso are practically level
Burkina Faso: 61.3 years (2024) · Niger: 61.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Niger is 50% more likely to die before turning one than in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 43.6 per 1,000 (2024) · Niger: 65.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Burkina Faso has 3.9 times as many doctors per person as Niger
Burkina Faso: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Niger: 0.038 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Niger has 40% more hospital beds per person than Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 0.2 per 1,000 (2020) · Niger: 0.3 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Burkina Faso is 56% higher than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 19.7 per 100k (2023) · Niger: 12.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
7.0% of adults in Burkina Faso are obese, versus 6.0% in Niger
Burkina Faso: 7% (2024) · Niger: 6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Burkina Faso smoke, versus 7.4% in Niger
Burkina Faso: 11.6% (2024) · Niger: 7.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Niger rate their lives 0.49 points higher than in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 4.46 (2025) · Niger: 4.94 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Burkina Faso drink 38 times as much alcohol as in Niger
Burkina Faso: 4.9 litres (2023) · Niger: 0.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Burkina Faso has 3 times as much meat per person as Niger
Burkina Faso: 23.1 kg (2023) · Niger: 7.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Burkina Faso has 137 kcal more food per person per day than Niger
Burkina Faso: 2,791 kcal (2023) · Niger: 2,654 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Burkina Faso put in 287 more hours a year than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 2,356 hours (2023) · Niger: 2,069 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Burkina Faso went to school 0.85 years longer than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 2.3 years (2023) · Niger: 1.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Niger welcomed 49% more tourists per resident than Burkina Faso (2019)
Burkina Faso: 0.01 (2024) · Niger: 0.01 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
Burkina Faso has 1 more World Heritage site than Niger (4 against 3)
Burkina Faso: 4 (2026) · Niger: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Niger has won 2 Olympic medals, Burkina Faso 1
Burkina Faso: 1 (2026 edition) · Niger: 2 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
28% of people in Burkina Faso are online, versus 16% in Niger
Burkina Faso: 28% (2024) · Niger: 16% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Burkina Faso is 43% faster than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 55 Mbps (2026) · Niger: 38 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
34% of people in Burkina Faso have electricity, versus 21% in Niger
Burkina Faso: 34% (2024) · Niger: 21.3% (2024)
How many live in cities?
29% of people in Burkina Faso live in cities, versus 18% in Niger
Burkina Faso: 29% (2025) · Niger: 18% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Burkina Faso has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Niger 61
Burkina Faso: 117 (2024) · Niger: 61 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Burkina Faso: 518 km (2021) · Niger: no data
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Burkina Faso fly 21 times as many passengers per resident as those from Niger
Burkina Faso: 0.0043 (2023) · Niger: 0.00021 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 12% of Burkina Faso, but only 0.8% of Niger
Burkina Faso: 12.3% (2024) · Niger: 0.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Burkina Faso emits 2.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Niger
Burkina Faso: 0.3 t (2024) · Niger: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Burkina Faso’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.2% in Niger
Burkina Faso: 17.2% (2024) · Niger: 3.2% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Niger carries 38% more fine dust than in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: 34.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Niger: 47.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Burkina Faso are 46% deadlier than in Niger
Burkina Faso: 45.7 per 100k (2023) · Niger: 31.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Burkina Faso is on average 1.1 °C warmer than Niger
Burkina Faso: 29.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Niger: 28°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Burkina Faso gets 6.3 times as much rain as Niger
Burkina Faso: 610 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Niger: 97 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Burkina Faso bigger than Niger?
Niger is larger. Burkina Faso fits inside Niger 4.6 times.
Which has more people, Burkina Faso or Niger?
Niger has 16% more people than Burkina Faso (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Burkina Faso or Niger?
Niger and Burkina Faso are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 61.3 years in Burkina Faso and 61.4 in Niger.
Are people taller in Burkina Faso or Niger?
Men in Burkina Faso are 1.6 cm taller than in Niger (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
