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

Health

be 20.5% less likely to be obese

In Colombia, 24.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.

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be 26.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Colombia, 0.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 8.6 years less

In Colombia, 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.

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see 25.5% less spent on your healthcare

Colombia spends $1,758 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.

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have 85.0% fewer doctors per person

Colombia has 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.

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have 31.2% less access to essential health services

Colombia scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 68.3% more likely to die by suicide

Colombia has a suicide rate of 5.0 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 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Colombia, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.

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Life

have 83.8% more children

In Colombia, there are approximately 13.2 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 2.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Colombia, approximately 59.0 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 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Colombia, approximately 10.5 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 23.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Colombia, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 95% 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 27.6% less likely to have internet access

In Colombia, approximately 79.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 23.1% less on healthcare

Colombia spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 53.2% more on education

Colombia spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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Safety

be 54.4% less likely to be murdered

Colombia has a homicide rate of 24.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 38.6% less strain on fresh water

Colombia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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find 56.8% less home broadband

Colombia has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 2.3 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Colombia, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

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emit 52.2% more CO2

Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), 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 Colombia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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