Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
see 3.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
be 10.4% more likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
have 18.3% fewer doctors per person
Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
be 9.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Sao Tome and Principe has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 71.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.
make 90.4% more money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 75.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 9.2 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.
have 13.3% fewer children
In Sao Tome and Principe, 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 17.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 78% of people have access to drinking water (79% in urban areas, and 73% 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 60.2% more on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Safety
be 41.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sao Tome and Principe, road accidents kill 11.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.5 times more home broadband
Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 18.6% more strain on fresh water
Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 35.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Sao Tome and Principe, air pollution causes 85.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.3 times more CO2
Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sao Tome and Principe vs. Botswana
MORE COMPARISONS
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.