Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tonga instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
live 3.8 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
have 2.7 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Tonga has 10.1 as of 2021.
be 43.4% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.7 times more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73.8% of people as of 2024.
see 60.9% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tonga spends $512 as of 2023.
Economy
be 91.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tonga, that number is 2.0% as of 2025.
make 15.8% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,547 as of 2025.
Life
be 56.8% 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 Tonga, 67.0 women do as of 2023.
be 75.7% 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 Tonga, on the other hand, 7.8 children do 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 Tonga, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 17.4% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tonga, about 67.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.1% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Tonga spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 17.6% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tonga, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 91.6% less likely to be murdered
Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2019.
be 48.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tonga, they kill 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Environment
be 56.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tonga, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
emit 40.5% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tonga emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Tonga
Tonga: At a glance
How big is Tonga compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.