Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia 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 Ethiopia, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2024.
be 85.2% less likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 27.3% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.7 years less
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 93.5% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 62.3% fewer doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 36.4% less access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 86.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 88.0% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 29.2% more children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 25.8% 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 Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 27.1% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 61.8% less likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 39.4% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 56% of people on average (83% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 55.3% less on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 92.1% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 14.5 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
use 93.1% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 16.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 94.5% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.