Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 37.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.8% of people as of 2024.
be 25.7% less likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
live 6.2 years less
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.
see 92.1% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.
have 64.1% fewer doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 62.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.3% as of 2025.
make 61.2% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.
Life
have 22.7% more children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.
be 94.4% more 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 Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.4% less 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 27.5% less likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.
be 26.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Botswana, approximately 92% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 67% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 95.3% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 53.2% less on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 40.5% less likely to be murdered
Botswana has a homicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 81.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 73.9% less home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.
live with 20.7 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.
use 69.3% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 71.9% less CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: At a glance
How big is Zimbabwe compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.