Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 96.2% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 0.6% of people as of 2024.
live 11.7 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 47.2% more spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 7.1 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 47.3% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 65.2% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 72.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
make 2.6 times more money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
Life
be 84.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Botswana, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
be 71.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Botswana, approximately 32.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, 9.1 children do as of 2024.
have 59.0% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Botswana, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 51.7% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.1% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 56.1% more likely to be murdered
Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 3.1 times more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
use 39.1% more electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.6 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 72.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 40.5% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 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: Botswana vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.