Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 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 15.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 2.7 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 57.1% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 22.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ethiopia, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 6.8 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 37.6% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 8.3 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 7.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 20.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 195.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
have 22.6% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 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 37.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 44% 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 2.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 65.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 56% of people have access to drinking water (83% in urban areas, and 47% 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 2.2 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 12.6 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 93.1% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 14.6 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 19.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.3 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.