Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gabon instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 82.2% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 2.8% of people as of 2024.
have 37.5% more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Gabon has 5.2 as of 2022.
be 12.6% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 0.8 years less
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 14.6% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2024.
see 48.6% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gabon spends $673 as of 2023.
have 10.9% less access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gabon scores 49 as of 2021.
Economy
be 17.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gabon, that number is 20.1% as of 2025.
be 2.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Botswana, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Gabon, however, that number is 33.4% as of 2017.
Life
be 19.3% 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 Gabon, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2024.
have 11.4% more children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gabon, there are 27.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 50.3% 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 Gabon, 233.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 23.8% 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 Gabon, that number is 94% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 29% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 19.6% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gabon, about 68.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 71.2% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Gabon spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 50.0% less on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 3.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 24.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gabon, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 77.6% less strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gabon withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 37.0% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gabon has 4.7 as of 2024.
use 37.6% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Gabon uses 1,023 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 25.2% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Gabon
Gabon: At a glance
How big is Gabon compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.