Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Gambia, you would:
Health
live 3.2 years longer
In Gambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 13.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Gambia spends $94 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Gambia has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 19.6% more access to essential health services
Gambia scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 12.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Gambia, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 59.7% more likely to be obese
In Gambia, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 73.6% more likely to die by suicide
Gambia has a suicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 8.5 times more money
Gambia has a GDP per capita of $919 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 3.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Gambia, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 56.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Gambia, approximately 354.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
have 18.4% fewer children
In Gambia, there are approximately 29.9 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 13.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Gambia, approximately 67% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 35% 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 16.1% more likely to have internet access
In Gambia, approximately 49.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.9 times more on education
Gambia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Gambia spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 25.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Gambia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.3 times more home broadband
Gambia has 0.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
Environment
be 38.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Gambia, air pollution causes 90.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 15.2 times more CO2
Gambia emits 0.2 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: Gambia vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.