Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:
Health
live 3.0 years longer
In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 29.3% less likely to be obese
In Papua New Guinea, 28.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 9.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Papua New Guinea spends $133 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 6.2 times more doctors per person
Papua New Guinea has 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 83.3% more access to essential health services
Papua New Guinea scores 30 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 10.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Papua New Guinea, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 4.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Papua New Guinea has a suicide rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.6 times more money
Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $3,020 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 9.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Papua New Guinea, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 18.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 189.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 3.7 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 20% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 13% 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 3.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 18.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 72.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 53% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 48% 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 10.3 times more on education
Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Papua New Guinea spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 10.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Papua New Guinea, road accidents kill 14.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 32.3 times more home broadband
Papua New Guinea has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 17.2 times more strain on fresh water
Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 44.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Papua New Guinea, air pollution causes 38.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.3 times more CO2
Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 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: Papua New Guinea vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.