Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Botswana instead of Malawi, you would:

Health

be 2.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malawi, 8.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2020.

live 6.8 years less

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Botswana, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.3 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Botswana, that number is 18.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 10.7 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2020, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $16,000 as of 2020.

be 62.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 51.5% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Botswana, however, that number is 19.3% as of 2009.

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

Malawi has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Botswana, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 58.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 349.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Botswana, 144.0 women do as of 2017.

be 42.5% more likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 62.1% as of 2015. In Botswana, it is 88.5% as of 2015.

be 24.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 33.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Botswana, on the other hand, 25.2 children do as of 2022.

have 27.4% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 27.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Botswana, there are 20.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 4.5 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 13% of people have electricity access (55% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Botswana, that number is 59% of people on average (71% in urban areas, and 29% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 4.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 14.0% of the population has internet access as of 2019. In Botswana, about 64.0% do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 17.6% less on healthcare

Malawi spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Botswana, that number is 6.1% of GDP as of 2019.

spend 2.4 times more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Botswana spends 6.9% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Botswana Unified Revenue Service.

Botswana: At a glance

Botswana is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 566,730 sq km. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. More than four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
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How big is Botswana compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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