Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 10.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 14.5% more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
be 39.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 82.3% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.3 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 20.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
have 16.4% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 38.4% more likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 112.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Laos, approximately 27.2 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 21.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 95% 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 12.4% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 6.6 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 4.7 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 2.7 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 53.4% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 20.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.2% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.