Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Benin, you would:
Health
live 8.3 years longer
In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 9.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 75.5% more doctors per person
Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 44.7% more access to essential health services
Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 22.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Benin, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 61.6% more likely to be obese
In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 17.3% more likely to die by suicide
Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.7 times more money
Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 15.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 70.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 29.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Benin, approximately 45.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Botswana, on the other hand, 32.1 children do as of 2024.
have 27.1% fewer children
In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 33.3% more likely to have access to electricity
In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 76% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 69.1% more likely to have internet access
In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 31.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.5 times more on education
Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 87.4% more on healthcare
Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 26.6 times more home broadband
Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 14.3 times more electricity
Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water
Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 28.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.6 times more CO2
Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Benin vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.