If you lived in Botswana instead of Brunei, you would:

Health

be 46.6% less likely to be obese

In Brunei, 37.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.

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live 6.2 years less

In Brunei, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 30.9% less spent on your healthcare

Brunei spends $1,896 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.

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have 79.9% fewer doctors per person

Brunei has 18.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.

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have 29.5% less access to essential health services

Brunei scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide

Brunei has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 4.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Brunei, 5.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.

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make 75.9% less money

Brunei has a GDP per capita of $32,235 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.

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Life

have 82.7% more children

In Brunei, there are approximately 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 4.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Brunei, approximately 36.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Brunei, approximately 8.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Botswana, on the other hand, 32.1 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Brunei, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 76% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 40.3% less likely to have internet access

In Brunei, approximately 96.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.8 times more on healthcare

Brunei spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 4.6 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Brunei, road accidents kill 3.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 35.7% less strain on fresh water

Brunei withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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find 64.9% less home broadband

Brunei has 21.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.

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use 84.6% less electricity

Brunei uses 10,674 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 86.5% less CO2

Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 2.8 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Brunei, air pollution causes 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Botswana: At a glance

Botswana is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 566,730 sq km. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. More than four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
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How big is Botswana compared to Brunei? See an in-depth size comparison.

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