Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Uruguay instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
live 9.0 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.
have 12.3 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.
have 49.1% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Uruguay scores 82 as of 2021.
be 76.6% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 69.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.
make 3.2 times more money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.
Life
be 90.3% 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 Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 80.7% 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 Uruguay, on the other hand, 6.2 children do as of 2024.
have 59.8% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 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 Uruguay, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 60.1% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uruguay, about 92.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.9% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Uruguay spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 44.1% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.4 times more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.
live with 5.4 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 70.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Uruguay
Uruguay: At a glance
How big is Uruguay compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.