Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Namibia instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 42.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 9.0% of people as of 2024.
have 45.9% more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Namibia has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 14.5% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Namibia scores 63 as of 2021.
live 1.8 years less
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 18.4% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Namibia spends $1,068 as of 2023.
Economy
be 21.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Namibia, that number is 19.3% as of 2025.
make 37.3% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Namibia, the GDP per capita is $4,876 as of 2025.
Life
be 13.4% 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 Namibia, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.9% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Namibia, about 64.9% do as of 2024.
be 25.4% 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 Namibia, that number is 57% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 51.4% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Namibia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 86.1% less strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Namibia withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 62.0% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Namibia has 2.8 as of 2024.
use 24.9% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Namibia uses 1,232 kWh as of 2023.
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 Namibia, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 56.2% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Namibia
Namibia: At a glance
How big is Namibia compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.