Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Malawi, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 10.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Malawi spends $125 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 7.0 times more doctors per person
Malawi has 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 14.6% more access to essential health services
Malawi scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 2.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malawi, 6.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Malawi, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 10.3% more likely to die by suicide
Malawi has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 11.6 times more money
Malawi has a GDP per capita of $672 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 4.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malawi, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 31.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Malawi, approximately 225.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Malawi, approximately 38.0 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.
have 21.8% fewer children
In Malawi, there are approximately 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 4.9 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Malawi, approximately 16% of people have electricity access (58% in urban areas, and 6% 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 3.0 times more likely to have internet access
In Malawi, approximately 19.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 25.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Malawi, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 70% 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 2.9 times more on education
Malawi spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Safety
be 18.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malawi, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 82.7 times more home broadband
Malawi has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 87.3% less strain on fresh water
Malawi withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 27.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Malawi, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.5 times more CO2
Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malawi vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.