If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Botswana, you would:

Health

live 12.6 years longer

In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 35.1% less likely to die by suicide

Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 42.4% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 75.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 5.2 times more money

Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 92.9% 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 Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 81.2% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

View global rankings →

have 76.6% fewer children

In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 31.6% 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 Puerto Rico, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 51.9% more likely to have internet access

In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, about 87.3% do as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 24.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 28.3% more likely to be murdered

Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, that number is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 3.8 times more home broadband

Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 8.8 times more strain on fresh water

Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 75.9% more CO2

Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
Read more

How big is Puerto Rico compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Puerto Rico or Botswana. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.