Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Ghana, you would:
Health
live 3.6 years longer
In Ghana, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 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 5.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Ghana spends $234 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 42.5% more doctors per person
Ghana has 2.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 14.6% more access to essential health services
Ghana scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 10.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ghana, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 36.0% more likely to be obese
In Ghana, 14.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 57.0% more likely to die by suicide
Ghana has a suicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 31.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ghana, 23.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.
make 2.4 times more money
Ghana has a GDP per capita of $3,257 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 8.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ghana, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 33.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ghana, approximately 234.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Ghana, approximately 27.5 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.
Basic Needs
be 15.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 78% 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 20.4% less likely to have internet access
In Ghana, approximately 72.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.8 times more on education
Ghana spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Ghana spends 3.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 36.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ghana, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 6.2 times more likely to be murdered
Ghana has a homicide rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 11.3 times more home broadband
Ghana has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 64.7% less strain on fresh water
Ghana withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 2.9 times more electricity
Ghana uses 565 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 38.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ghana, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.9 times more CO2
Ghana emits 0.7 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ghana vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Ghana? See an in-depth size comparison.