Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Lesotho, you would:
Health
live 11.5 years longer
In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 10.9% less likely to be obese
In Lesotho, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 3.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Lesotho spends $386 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 61.3% more doctors per person
Lesotho has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
be 70.9% less likely to die by suicide
Lesotho has a suicide rate of 28.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 67.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Lesotho, 49.7% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.
make 7.1 times more money
Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $1,089 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 50.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Lesotho, 16.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 67.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Lesotho, approximately 478.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 43.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Lesotho, approximately 56.3 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 32.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Lesotho, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 45% 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 10.9% more likely to have internet access
In Lesotho, approximately 51.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 17.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Lesotho, approximately 78% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 71% 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.
Expenditures
spend 50.4% less on healthcare
Lesotho spends 12.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 23.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Lesotho, road accidents kill 21.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 19.6 times more home broadband
Lesotho has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 13.2% less strain on fresh water
Lesotho withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 45.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Lesotho, air pollution causes 100.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.4 times more CO2
Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Lesotho vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.