Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United States instead of Botswana, you would:

Health

live 15.5 years longer

In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 65 years (63 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2020. In United States, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.

be 91.5% more likely to be obese

In Botswana, 18.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United States, that number is 36.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.5 times more money

Botswana has a GDP per capita of $17,000 as of 2017, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $59,800 as of 2017.

be 78.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Botswana, 20.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2013. In United States, that number is 4.4% as of 2017.

be 21.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Botswana, 19.3% live below the poverty line as of 2009. In United States, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2010.

pay a 58.4% higher top tax rate

Botswana has a top tax rate of 25.0% as of 2016. In United States, the top tax rate is 39.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 86.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Botswana, approximately 144.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In United States, 19.0 women do as of 2017.

be 80.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Botswana, approximately 26.8 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In United States, on the other hand, 5.3 children do as of 2020.

have 40.7% fewer children

In Botswana, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In United States, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 64.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Botswana, approximately 61% of the population has electricity access as of 2016. In United States, 100% of the population do as of 2016.

be 85.7% more likely to have internet access

In Botswana, approximately 47.0% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In United States, about 87.3% do as of 2018.

Expenditures

spend 47.9% less on education

Botswana spends 9.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2009. United States spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2014.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, Internal Revenue Service.

United States: At a glance

United States (sometimes abbreviated US or USA) is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,147,593 sq km. Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Read more

How big is United States compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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