Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Guyana, you would:
Health
be 34.3% less likely to be obese
In Guyana, 30.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 66.3% less likely to die by suicide
Guyana has a suicide rate of 24.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 9.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Guyana, 1.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
live 1.0 years less
In Guyana, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
have 72.7% fewer doctors per person
Guyana has 13.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 27.6% less access to essential health services
Guyana scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Guyana, 12.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
make 76.0% less money
Guyana has a GDP per capita of $32,414 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
Life
have 22.5% more children
In Guyana, there are approximately 19.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Guyana, approximately 75.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Guyana, approximately 23.2 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 23.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Guyana, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 92% 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 30.8% less likely to have internet access
In Guyana, approximately 83.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 81.1% more on education
Guyana spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Guyana spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 40.5% less likely to be murdered
Guyana has a homicide rate of 19.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 32.4% less strain on fresh water
Guyana withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 42.5% less home broadband
Guyana has 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 39.9% less CO2
Guyana emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Guyana vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Guyana? See an in-depth size comparison.