Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iceland instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 99.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.
live 13.5 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.
have 11.5 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iceland has 43.7 as of 2023.
have 61.8% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iceland scores 89 as of 2021.
be 12.2% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
be 42.6% more likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 85.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
be 45.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Botswana, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.
make 12.6 times more money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.
Life
be 98.1% 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 Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 93.5% 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 Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.
have 54.0% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 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 Iceland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 70.9% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iceland, about 98.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.5% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 88.7% less likely to be murdered
Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 85.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.0 times more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.
live with 82.5% less strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 29.9 times more electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 85.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.1 times more CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Iceland
Iceland: At a glance
How big is Iceland compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.