Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
see 93.5% more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
be 78.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bhutan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
live 4.0 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 51.4% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
have 31.5% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
be 70.4% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 73.1% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 7.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
have 94.4% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 37.1% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 37.8% more on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 41.6% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 4.6 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 35.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.5 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 58.2% more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 36.3% more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.