Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 49.7% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 18.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
be 14.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Botswana, 19.3% live below the poverty line as of 2009. In South Africa, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2016.
make 28.1% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $16,000 as of 2020, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $11,500 as of 2020.
be 42.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 20.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2013. In South Africa, that number is 28.5% as of 2019.
pay a 80.0% higher top tax rate
Botswana has a top tax rate of 25.0% as of 2016. In South Africa, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2017.
Life
be 17.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Botswana, approximately 144.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In South Africa, 119.0 women do as of 2017.
Basic Needs
be 59.3% more likely to have access to electricity
In Botswana, approximately 59% of people have electricity access (71% in urban areas, and 29% in rural areas) as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 94% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2019.
Expenditures
spend 49.2% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 9.1% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, South African Revenue Service.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.