Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Gabon, you would:
Health
live 0.8 years longer
In Gabon, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 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.
be 12.7% less likely to be obese
In Gabon, 22.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 94.6% more spent on your healthcare
Gabon spends $673 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 12.2% more access to essential health services
Gabon scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 5.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Gabon, 2.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
have 27.3% fewer doctors per person
Gabon has 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
be 14.4% more likely to die by suicide
Gabon has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 51.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Gabon, 33.4% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.
be 21.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Gabon, 20.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 33.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Gabon, approximately 233.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.9% more likely to die during infancy
In Gabon, approximately 25.9 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 10.2% fewer children
In Gabon, there are approximately 27.1 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 19.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Gabon, approximately 94% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 29% 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 16.4% less likely to have internet access
In Gabon, approximately 68.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.5 times more on education
Gabon spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 100.0% more on healthcare
Gabon spends 3.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 32.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Gabon, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 58.6% more home broadband
Gabon has 4.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 60.3% more electricity
Gabon uses 1,023 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
live with 4.5 times more strain on fresh water
Gabon withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 33.7% more CO2
Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Gabon vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Gabon? See an in-depth size comparison.