Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 90.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.
be 78.2% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.0 years less
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 41.4% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 89.8% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 83.9% fewer doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 45.5% less access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 89.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 61.2% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
be 21.9% 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 Papua New Guinea, 189.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 73.0% 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 Papua New Guinea, that number is 20% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 13% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 67.3% less likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 41.9% 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 Papua New Guinea, that number is 53% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 48% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 90.3% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 54.2% less on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 94.2% less strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 96.9% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
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 Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 81.0% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 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. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.