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

Health

be 35.4% less likely to be obese

In Malta, 30.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 52.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malta, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live 13.7 years less

In Malta, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 77.1% less spent on your healthcare

Malta spends $5,706 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 91.6% fewer doctors per person

Malta has 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 35.3% less access to essential health services

Malta scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 29.1% more likely to die by suicide

Malta has a suicide rate of 6.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 8.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Malta, 2.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 83.8% less money

Malta has a GDP per capita of $47,907 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 3.2 times more children

In Malta, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 19.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Malta, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 6.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In Malta, approximately 4.7 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.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Malta, 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.

View global rankings →

be 38.8% less likely to have internet access

In Malta, approximately 93.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 29.2% less on healthcare

Malta spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

spend 71.1% more on education

Malta spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 20.3 times more likely to be murdered

Malta has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 8.7 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Malta, road accidents kill 1.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

live with 96.9% less strain on fresh water

Malta withdraws 73% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

find 83.3% less home broadband

Malta has 44.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

use 67.3% less electricity

Malta uses 5,013 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 13.8% less CO2

Malta emits 3.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.6 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Malta, air pollution causes 21.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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.
Read more

How big is Botswana compared to Malta? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Botswana or Malta. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.