Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of China, you would:
Health
live 8.7 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 11.9% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 87.8% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 32.1% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
make 43.9% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.6 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 7.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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 China, 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 37.3% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Safety
be 22.7 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.6% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 84.2% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 74.8% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 14.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 70.6% less CO2
China emits 9.3 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.