Life Expectancy in Burkina Faso (2024): Men 59.1, Women 63.4

Life expectancy in Burkina Faso since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Burkina Faso has risen by 25.2 years, from 36.1 to 61.3. Women live 4.3 years longer than men (63.4 vs 59.1).

Expected age at death in Burkina Faso by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	59.1	64.4	65.8	70.5	82.4
Women	63.4	69.0	70.1	73.6	83.6

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Burkina Faso’s figures (method).

How people die in Burkina Faso

Chronic diseases: 36.1%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 52.3%
Injuries: 11.5%

In 2019, 36% of deaths in Burkina Faso were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Burkina Faso man has a 26% chance and a woman 21% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 31.0 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Burkina Faso, about 74.9 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Burkina Faso compared with its region

Burkina Faso is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #39 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
35	Congo (DRC)	62.1	60.0	64.2
36	Côte d'Ivoire	62.1	60.2	64.3
37	Sierra Leone	62.0	60.2	63.7
38	Niger	61.4	60.5	62.4
39	Burkina Faso	61.3	59.1	63.4
40	Benin	61.0	59.5	62.4
41	Guinea	60.9	59.7	62.1
42	Mali	60.7	59.3	62.2
43	Somalia, Fed. Rep.	59.0	56.5	61.6

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Burkina Faso?

61.3 years in 2024: 59.1 for men and 63.4 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Burkina Faso?

Yes. Women in Burkina Faso live about 4.3 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Burkina Faso rank for life expectancy?

Burkina Faso ranks #208 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 12.2 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Burkina Faso?

Life expectancy at birth (61.3) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Burkina Faso can expect to live to about 65.8, and a 40-year-old woman to about 70.1.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.