Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
live 5.3 years longer
In Cameroon, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 5.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Cameroon spends $246 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 2.8 times more doctors per person
Cameroon has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 6.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Cameroon, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 23.4% more likely to be obese
In Cameroon, 16.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 3.9 times more money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 6.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cameroon, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 39.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cameroon, approximately 258.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.0% more likely to be literate
In Cameroon, the literacy rate is 72.5% as of 2018. In Botswana, it is 88.5% as of 2015.
be 20.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Cameroon, approximately 40.2 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.
have 26.9% fewer children
In Cameroon, there are approximately 33.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 24.2% more likely to have internet access
In Cameroon, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 28.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Cameroon, approximately 71% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.8 times more on education
Cameroon spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 37.6% more on healthcare
Cameroon spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 68.2% more likely to be murdered
Cameroon has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 55.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Cameroon, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.5 times more home broadband
Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 7.3 times more electricity
Cameroon uses 226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
live with 42.9% more strain on fresh water
Cameroon withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 45.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.8 times more CO2
Cameroon emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2015). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cameroon vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.