World median is the middle country on each statistic: half of all countries with data are above it, half below. It is not an average, so it is never pulled up or down by giants or microstates.
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The median country fits inside Burkina Faso 2.5 times.
Burkina Faso: 274,200 km² (2023) · World median: 111,370 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Burkina Faso: 0 km (2026 edition) · World median: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The median country’s highest peak towers 1,586 m above Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 749 m (2026 edition) · World median: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Burkina Faso has 3.3 times as many people as the median country.
Burkina Faso: 24.1 million (2025) · World median: 7.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The median country is 12% more densely populated than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 88 per km² (2025) · World median: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the median country are 1.6 cm taller than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 171.9 cm (2019) · World median: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Burkina Faso and the median country are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 161.3 cm (2019) · World median: 160.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the median country is 14 years older than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 17.3 years (2023) · World median: 31.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Burkina Faso have 2.2 more children on average than in the median country.
Burkina Faso: 4.11 children per woman (2024) · World median: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.6% of people in the median country are 65 or older, versus 2.7% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2.7% (2025) · World median: 8.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Burkina Faso and the median country are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 0 (2025) · World median: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Burkina Faso and the median country are practically level.
Burkina Faso: 1 (2026) · World median: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The median country’s economy is 65% larger than Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: $27.6 billion (2025) · World median: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The median country produces 6.9 times as much per person as Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: Int$3,072 (2025) · World median: Int$21,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Burkina Faso than in the median country (Gini 3 points higher).
Burkina Faso: 37.4 (2021) · World median: 34.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in the median country, versus 3.5% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 3.5% (2025) · World median: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Burkina Faso spends 4.7% of its GDP on the military, the median country 1.7%.
Burkina Faso: 4.7% (2024) · World median: 1.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The median country’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 37% (2025) · World median: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The median country spends 6.6 times as much on health per person as Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: $72 (2023) · World median: $470 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the median country live 13 years longer than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 61.3 years (2024) · World median: 74.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Burkina Faso is 3.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in the median country.
Burkina Faso: 43.6 per 1,000 (2024) · World median: 12.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The median country has 11 times as many doctors per person as Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · World median: 1.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in the median country are obese, versus 7.0% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 7% (2024) · World median: 24% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in the median country smoke, versus 12% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 11.6% (2024) · World median: 19% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the median country rate their lives 1.38 points higher than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 4.46 (2025) · World median: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Burkina Faso drink 14% more alcohol than in the median country.
Burkina Faso: 4.9 litres (2023) · World median: 4.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The median country has 2.4 times as much meat per person as Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 23.1 kg (2023) · World median: 56.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The median country has 147 kcal more food per person per day than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2,791 kcal (2023) · World median: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Burkina Faso put in 382 more hours a year than in the median country.
Burkina Faso: 2,356 hours (2023) · World median: 1,974 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the median country went to school 7.7 years longer than in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 2.3 years (2023) · World median: 9.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The median country welcomed 61 times as many tourists per resident as Burkina Faso (2019).
Burkina Faso: 0.01 (2024) · World median: 0.34 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in the median country are online, versus 28% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 28% (2024) · World median: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the median country have electricity, versus 34% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 34% (2024) · World median: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in the median country live in cities, versus 29% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 29% (2025) · World median: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Burkina Faso has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the median country 115.
Burkina Faso: 117 (2024) · World median: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The median country’s railway network is 4.1 times as long as Burkina Faso’s.
Burkina Faso: 518 km (2021) · World median: 2,141 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the median country fly 55 times as many passengers per resident as those from Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0 (2023) · World median: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 31% of the median country, but only 22% of Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 22.2% (2023) · World median: 31.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the median country emits 11 times as much CO₂ as someone in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 0.3 t (2024) · World median: 3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
31% of the median country’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 17.2% (2024) · World median: 30.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Burkina Faso carries 2.1 times as much fine dust as in the median country.
Burkina Faso: 34.6 µg/m³ (2024) · World median: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Burkina Faso: no data · World median: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Burkina Faso are 2.3 times as deadly as in the median country.
Burkina Faso: 27.8 per 100k (2021) · World median: 12.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Burkina Faso is on average 6.1 °C warmer than the median country.
Burkina Faso: 29.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 23°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The median country gets 66% more rain than Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso: 610 mm (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Burkina Faso bigger than the median country?
Burkina Faso is larger. The median country fits inside Burkina Faso 2.5 times.
Which has more people, Burkina Faso or the median country?
Burkina Faso has 3.3 times as many people as the median country (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Burkina Faso or the median country?
People in the median country live 13 years longer than in Burkina Faso. Life expectancy at birth is 61.3 years in Burkina Faso and 74.6 in the median country.
Are people taller in Burkina Faso or the median country?
Men in the median country are 1.6 cm taller than in Burkina Faso (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
