Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
live 11.5 years less
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
be 12.3% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 70.6% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lesotho spends $386 as of 2023.
have 38.0% fewer doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Lesotho has 2.4 as of 2022.
be 3.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 28.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 33.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.3% as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Botswana, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Lesotho, however, that number is 49.7% as of 2017.
make 86.0% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $1,089 as of 2025.
Life
be 3.1 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 Lesotho, 478.0 women do as of 2023.
be 75.4% 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 Lesotho, on the other hand, 56.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 24.6% 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 Lesotho, that number is 57% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 14.9% 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 Lesotho, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 12.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 30.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lesotho, they kill 21.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 94.9% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Lesotho has 0.4 as of 2024.
live with 15.2% more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lesotho withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 84.3% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 81.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Lesotho, it causes 100.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Lesotho
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.