Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
be 17.8% less likely to be obese
In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 4.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 45.2% more doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 37.5% more access to essential health services
Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 157.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mauritania, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.5 times more money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 59.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mauritania, approximately 381.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
have 28.4% fewer children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 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 51.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mauritania, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 1% 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 25.5% more likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 18.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Mauritania, approximately 77% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 59% 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 44.2% more on healthcare
Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 11.4 times more likely to be murdered
Mauritania has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 73.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.8 times more home broadband
Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 83.2% less strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 11.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mauritania, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 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: Mauritania vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.