Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Namibia, you would:
Health
live 1.8 years longer
In Namibia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (63 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 22.6% more spent on your healthcare
Namibia spends $1,068 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
be 74.4% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Namibia, 9.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
have 31.5% fewer doctors per person
Namibia has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 12.7% less access to essential health services
Namibia scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
make 59.5% more money
Namibia has a GDP per capita of $4,876 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 26.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Namibia, 19.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 11.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Namibia, approximately 36.4 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 34.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Namibia, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 34% 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 11.4% less likely to have internet access
In Namibia, approximately 64.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.0% less on healthcare
Namibia spends 9.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 25.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Namibia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.6 times more home broadband
Namibia has 2.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 33.2% more electricity
Namibia uses 1,232 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
live with 7.2 times more strain on fresh water
Namibia withdraws 0% 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 Namibia, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.3 times more CO2
Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Namibia vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Namibia? See an in-depth size comparison.