Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
live 9.6 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 10.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 9.7 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 56.4% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 87.2% more likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 82.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 11.6 times more money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 89.0% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 82.9% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 56.5% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 64.8% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.8% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 49.3% less likely to be murdered
Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 13.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.2 times more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 7.8 times more electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 12.6 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 74.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.0 times more CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.