Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
live 14.3 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.
be 57.7% less likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 3.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 6.9 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 61.8% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 3.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 89.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
be 10.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Botswana, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In South Korea, however, that number is 14.4% as of 2016.
make 4.7 times more money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 97.4% 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 South Korea, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 92.8% 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 South Korea, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.
have 80.7% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 South Korea, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 70.4% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.9% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 38.7% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 95.8% less likely to be murdered
Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 58.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.4 times more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 6.9 times more electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 38.2 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 65.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.1 times more CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.