Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
live 1.3 years longer
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 7.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 12.2% more access to essential health services
Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 7.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 6.9 times more money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 32.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
have 13.2% fewer children
In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 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 18.9% more likely to have access to electricity
In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% 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 81.3% more likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 49.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% 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 22.0% more on healthcare
Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.1 times more likely to be murdered
Rwanda has a homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 42.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.4 times more home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 89.0% less strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 21.4 times more electricity
Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 11.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 17.1 times more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 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: Rwanda vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.