Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
be 12.2% less likely to die by suicide
Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 157.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bulgaria, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
live 6.5 years less
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 55.9% less spent on your healthcare
Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 91.2% fewer doctors per person
Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 24.7% less access to essential health services
Bulgaria scores 73 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
make 61.7% less money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.9 times more children
In Bulgaria, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 25.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 7.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 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.
Basic Needs
be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bulgaria, 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.
be 30.3% less likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.0% less on healthcare
Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 79.1% more on education
Bulgaria spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Safety
be 10.4 times more likely to be murdered
Bulgaria has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 96.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.5% less strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 79.9% less home broadband
Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 69.4% less electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 12.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 48.4% less CO2
Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bulgaria vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.