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Burkina Faso vs Guinea
Side-by-side comparison of Burkina Faso and Guinea from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Burkina Faso
Sub-Saharan Africa · nation age 66 years
In short
Guinea scores 26.7 in the NationsTree Index (171st in the world) and Burkina Faso scores 21.9 (184th), a gap of 4.8 points. Their trees are 4.4 m and 4.5 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Burkina Faso has 59% more people than Guinea. Burkina Faso has 12% more land area than Guinea. Burkina Faso and Guinea have economies of similar size (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Burkina Faso 24.1 million and Guinea 15.1 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $4,935 in Guinea and $3,072 in Burkina Faso (2025, international dollars). Life expectancy is almost the same: 61.3 and 60.9 years.
Of 27 indicators reported by both countries, Burkina Faso ranks higher in the world on 13 and Guinea on 14. Burkina Faso is clearly stronger in tourism, military and institutions & safety. Guinea is clearly stronger in trade, environment & energy and main industries.
As a nation, Guinea is the older of the two (statehood since 1958, 68 years), compared with Burkina Faso (since 1960). Over the last five years Guinea improved faster (direction score 64 vs 5 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Burkina Faso and Guinea.
Burkina Faso
555
154th of 183
Guineabetter
16,080
38th of 183
InflationEconomy
Burkina Fasobetter
-0.6%
6th of 180
Guinea
3.6%
107th of 180
Government budget balanceEconomy
Burkina Fasobetter
-1.5%
63rd of 192
Guinea
-6.4%
167th of 192
DPT immunizationSociety & health
Burkina Fasobetter
91%
93rd of 193
Guinea
63%
180th of 193
Control of corruptionInstitutions & safety
Burkina Fasobetter
43.5
106th of 207
Guinea
26.6
172nd of 207
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Guinea overtook Burkina Faso in the NationsTree Index and GDP (PPP) in 2025, the latest year with data.
Burkina Faso overtook Guinea in life expectancy in 2011 and has stayed ahead since.
Guinea has been ahead of Burkina Faso in GDP per person (PPP) in every year since 1990.
Burkina Faso has been ahead of Guinea in population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
Burkina FasoGuinea All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Burkina Faso | Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 274,20074th/216 · 2024 | 245,85778th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 273,60074th/216 · 2024 | 245,72078th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 24.1 m59th/217 · 2025 | 15.1 m74th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 2.21%38th/217 · 2025 | 2.31%34th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 86.1116th/216 · 2024 | 60.0145th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 28.9%198th/217 · 2025 | 38.5%177th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 41.2%15th/217 · 2025 | 40.5%19th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 2.7%203rd/217 · 2025 | 3.5%179th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $27.63 bn119th/210 · 2025 | $28.35 bn117th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $73.95 bn116th/199 · 2025 | $74.51 bn114th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $63.19 bn116th/199 · 2025 | $63.67 bn114th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $1,148192nd/210 · 2025 | $1,877178th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $3,072186th/199 · 2025 | $4,935166th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $980186th/201 · 2025 | $1,730170th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 5.3%45th/210 · 2025 | 7.4%17th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | -0.6%6th/180 · 2025 | 3.6%107th/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 3.5%56th/187 · 2025 | 5.2%94th/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | 64.2%34th/55 · 2024 | — |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 53.2%96th/189 · 2025 | 36.3%53rd/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -1.5%63rd/192 · 2025 | -6.4%167th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 19.9%38th/197 · 2025 | 31.3%11th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 30.1%52nd/200 · 2025 | 25.4%79th/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 6.6%137th/192 · 2025 | 12.7%67th/192 · 2022 |
| Services % of GDP | 41.5%183rd/200 · 2025 | 35.7%194th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $9.67 bn112th/182 · 2025 | $11.74 bn107th/182 · 2025 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $8.29 bn123rd/182 · 2025 | $17.65 bn98th/182 · 2025 |
| Exports % of GDP | 35.0%96th/183 · 2025 | 41.4%75th/183 · 2025 |
| Imports % of GDP | 30.0%133rd/183 · 2025 | 62.3%52nd/183 · 2025 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 65.0%118th/183 · 2025 | 103.7%57th/183 · 2025 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0%145th/170 · 2024 | 0.5%2016 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 2.7%159th/171 · 2024 | 3.7%2016 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 7.1%130th/171 · 2024 | 4.3%2016 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 0.2%158th/171 · 2024 | 25.8%2016 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 1.6%138th/168 · 2024 | 0.9%2016 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | 5.8%31st/191 · 2025 | -14.7%177th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.1%136th/196 · 2025 | 27.4%6th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 20.1%24th/209 · 2021 | 4.5%76th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 15.45%7th/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 4.68%15th/209 · 2021 | 4.52%17th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 28.9%32nd/206 · 2024 | 24.7%40th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 555154th/183 · 2022 | 16,08038th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 67,000175th/194 · 2020 | 99,000163rd/194 · 2017 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $173.0 m132nd/175 · 2019 | $1.3 m175th/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 3.9%94th/168 · 2019 | 0.0%168th/168 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 61.3208th/217 · 2024 | 60.9210th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 74.9186th/196 · 2024 | 92.1191st/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 0.15156th/174 · 2022 | 0.21145th/174 · 2022 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 0.2144th/145 · 2020 | 0.32011 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 91%93rd/193 · 2024 | 63%180th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 10.2%152nd/153 · 2024 | 12.6%2018 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 30.0%168th/173 · 2024 | 38.6%2014 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 42.9%33rd/55 · 2021 | 10.5%2018 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 4.8%202nd/217 · 2025 | 6.2%175th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 7.8%67th/193 · 2023 | 3.7%162nd/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 41.6%95th/98 · 2023 | 39.6%2018 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 10.0%140th/150 · 2024 | 10.9%2014 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.459186th/193 · 2023 | 0.500179th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 37.472nd/108 · 2021 | 29.62018 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 42.1%101st/108 · 2021 | 11.7%2018 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 34.0%208th/215 · 2024 | 53.8%196th/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 24.7%120th/144 · 2024 | — |
| Internet users % of population | 28.3%171st/186 · 2024 | 33.3%164th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 117101st/210 · 2024 | 98143rd/210 · 2023 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 0.9172nd/208 · 2024 | 0.0204th/208 · 2022 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 2.30117th/164 · 2022 | 2.4096th/164 · 2022 |
| Rail lines route-km | 51877th/82 · 2021 | — |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 103,592137th/161 · 2023 | 58,5001999 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 0.2727th/203 · 2024 | 0.3534th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 71.4%26th/212 · 2022 | 66.6%31st/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 37.3173rd/200 · 2023 | 27.3145th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 12.3%154th/214 · 2024 | 20.0%131st/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 333138th/149 · 2024 | — |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 36.2164th/205 · 2025 | 33.9177th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 43.5106th/207 · 2025 | 26.6172nd/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 43.5157th/207 · 2025 | 38.7179th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 34.1194th/207 · 2025 | 52.8169th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 44.6145th/205 · 2025 | 39.1177th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 35.6164th/205 · 2025 | 36.1162nd/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 1.32017 | — |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $891.6 m85th/156 · 2025 | $600.5 m99th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 3.3%21st/156 · 2025 | 2.0%61st/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 13.2%21st/154 · 2025 | 10.6%28th/154 · 2025 |
| Armed forces personnel people | 11,000128th/170 · 2020 | 13,000121st/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.12%159th/168 · 2020 | 0.32%144th/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 34.0 m71st/163 · 2025 | 6.0 m125th/163 · 2025 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | 0.10%95th/110 · 2024 | — |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 22010 | — |
| Scientific articles articles | 52097th/197 · 2023 | 55151st/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Burkina Faso or Guinea?
Burkina Faso has the larger population: 24.1 m (2025) compared with 15.1 m for Guinea (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Burkina Faso or Guinea?
Burkina Faso is larger: 274,200 km² (2024) compared with 245,857 km² for Guinea (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Burkina Faso or Guinea?
Guinea has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $74.51 bn intl. (2025) compared with $73.95 bn intl. for Burkina Faso (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Burkina Faso or Guinea?
Guinea has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $4,935 intl. (2025) compared with $3,072 intl. for Burkina Faso (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Burkina Faso or Guinea?
Burkina Faso has the higher life expectancy at birth: 61.3 years (2024) compared with 60.9 years for Guinea (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which spends more on the military, Burkina Faso or Guinea?
Burkina Faso spends more on the military: $891.6 m (2025) compared with $600.5 m for Guinea (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Burkina Faso or Guinea?
Guinea: 26.7 points (171st in the world); Burkina Faso: 21.9 points (184th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Benin
Madagascar
MaliSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Burkina Faso vs Guinea — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/burkina-faso-vs-guinea. Data as of 26 October 2026.