Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 95.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2024.
be 66.2% less likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.
live 7.2 years less
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.
see 95.6% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.
have 45.1% fewer doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 as of 2022.
have 23.6% less access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 as of 2021.
Economy
be 81.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
make 89.6% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.
Life
have 67.8% more children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, 427.0 women do as of 2023.
be 75.7% more 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 56.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 70.9% less 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 22% of people on average (56% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 65.8% less likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.
be 61.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Botswana, approximately 92% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 36% of people on average (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 64.8% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 41.2% less on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 89.7% less strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.6% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.
use 92.2% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 97.8% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 30.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it causes 72.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.