Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 50.1% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 55.4% more spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
be 157.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Iraq, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
live 3.1 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 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 62.9% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
be 2.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 43.8% more money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 58.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iraq, approximately 66.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 59.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Iraq, approximately 20.1 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.
Basic Needs
be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Iraq, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 29.5% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 13.2% more on healthcare
Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 23.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.3% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 19.1% more electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
find 57.8% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
Environment
be 36.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 47.1% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.