Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 60.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
be 59.6% less likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
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 Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 90.4% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 85.8% fewer doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
have 12.7% less access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
Economy
be 79.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 91.4% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 27.8% more children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 45.2% 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 Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.4% 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 Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 79.5% 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 Malawi, that number is 16% of people on average (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 67.0% less likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 20.4% 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 Malawi, that number is 73% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 65.9% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Safety
be 22.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 98.8% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
live with 7.8 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
Environment
be 21.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 92.0% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.