Travel safety comparison · Africa
Burkina Faso vs Mali: safety comparison
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Burkina Faso vs Mali: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Burkina Faso and Mali have very similar overall Warnely composite scores: 75 and 73. The choice between them is unlikely to be driven by the headline number alone. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Mali scores 4/5 against Burkina Faso's 5/5.
| 🇧🇫Burkina Faso | 🇲🇱Mali | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 75 / 100 | 73 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | High Risk |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #152 | #154 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Do Not Travel | Do Not Travel |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | XOF | XOF |
Burkina Faso vs Mali: common questions
Is Burkina Faso or Mali safer to visit?
Mali has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 73/100 vs 75/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Burkina Faso or Mali safer for solo female travellers?
Burkina Faso is rated Do Not Travel for women's safety; Mali is rated Do Not Travel. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Burkina Faso and Mali?
Burkina Faso: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Mali: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).