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

Health

see 15.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Eritrea spends $87 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.

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have 4.3 times more doctors per person

Eritrea has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.

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have 22.2% more access to essential health services

Eritrea scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 36.9% less likely to die by suicide

Eritrea has a suicide rate of 13.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 39.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Eritrea, 0.4% 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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be 4.6 times more likely to be obese

In Eritrea, 4.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 4.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Eritrea, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.

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Life

be 46.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Eritrea, approximately 291.0 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 15.5% more likely to be literate

In Eritrea, the literacy rate is 76.6% as of 2018. In Botswana, it is 88.5% as of 2015.

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be 30.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Eritrea, approximately 24.7 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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have 15.2% fewer children

In Eritrea, there are approximately 28.7 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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Basic Needs

be 39.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Eritrea, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (77% in urban areas, and 37% 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 2.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Eritrea, approximately 26.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 70.1% more on healthcare

Eritrea spends 3.7% 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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Infrastructure

find 43.8 times more home broadband

Eritrea has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.

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live with 80.1% less strain on fresh water

Eritrea withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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use 13.3 times more electricity

Eritrea uses 123 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 29.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Eritrea, air pollution causes 78.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

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emit 12.5 times more CO2

Eritrea emits 0.2 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 (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2015–2018). 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 Eritrea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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