Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 43.8% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 50.8% more spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
be 14.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
live 2.3 years less
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 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 17.6% fewer doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 25.7% less access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 4.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 7.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 19.2% more likely to die during childbirth
In Jamaica, approximately 130.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 95.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Jamaica, approximately 16.4 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 22.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Jamaica, approximately 98% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 96% 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 36.2% less likely to have internet access
In Jamaica, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 17.6% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 77.0% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 82.0% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 36.2% more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
find 53.4% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
Environment
be 2.5 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Jamaica vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.