Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Mali, you would:
Health
live 8.6 years longer
In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 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 12.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Mali spends $104 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
Mali has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 34.1% more access to essential health services
Mali scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 19.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mali, 0.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 48.9% more likely to be obese
In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 6.5 times more money
Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 8.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mali, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 57.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mali, approximately 367.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Mali, approximately 47.5 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 38.4% fewer children
In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 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 39.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mali, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (92% in urban areas, and 23% 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 56.1% more likely to have internet access
In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 92.8% more on education
Mali spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 64.3% more on healthcare
Mali spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Mali, 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 9.7 times more home broadband
Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 72.1% less strain on fresh water
Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 15.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mali, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.1 times more CO2
Mali emits 0.3 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: Mali vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.