Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
live 5.8 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
have 27.3% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
be 49.2% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 76.4% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
see 47.4% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
Economy
be 79.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
be 54.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Botswana, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Nicaragua, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2016.
make 59.2% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
Life
be 61.3% 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 Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 70.7% 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 Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
have 21.4% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nicaragua, there are 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 16.2% 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 Nicaragua, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 64.4% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 32.6% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 22.3% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
use 61.0% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 30.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 69.7% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 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. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.