If you lived in Botswana instead of Guinea-Bissau, you would:

Health

live 5.0 years longer

In Guinea-Bissau, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 5.3 times more spent on your healthcare

Guinea-Bissau spends $247 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.

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have 50.4% more doctors per person

Guinea-Bissau has 2.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.

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have 48.6% more access to essential health services

Guinea-Bissau scores 37 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 7.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Guinea-Bissau, 2.2% 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 55.7% more likely to be obese

In Guinea-Bissau, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 6.9 times more money

Guinea-Bissau has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.

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be 9.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Guinea-Bissau, 2.7% 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 69.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 505.0 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 23.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 42.1 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 17.6% fewer children

In Guinea-Bissau, there are approximately 29.6 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 87.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 40% of people have electricity access (64% in urban areas, and 21% 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 92.9% more likely to have internet access

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 29.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.

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be 48.5% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 62% of people have access to drinking water (73% in urban areas, and 53% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 29.0% less on healthcare

Guinea-Bissau spends 8.8% 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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spend 3.0 times more on education

Guinea-Bissau spends 2.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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Safety

be 45.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Guinea-Bissau, road accidents kill 30.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 19.1 times more home broadband

Guinea-Bissau has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.

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live with 48.7% more strain on fresh water

Guinea-Bissau withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 38.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In Guinea-Bissau, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

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emit 17.1 times more CO2

Guinea-Bissau 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 (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). 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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