Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 15.2% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 52.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
live 7.5 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 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 83.8% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 27.6% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 47.8% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
make 40.7% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
Life
have 97.1% more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Malaysia, approximately 26.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Malaysia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 41.4% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.3 times more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 58.1% more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 15.6 times more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 18.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 35.2% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 45.1% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 67.7% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 12.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 67.1% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 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: Malaysia vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.