Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 33.2% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Botswana, that number is 18.9% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 39.1% more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $11,500 as of 2020, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $16,000 as of 2020.
be 29.9% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 28.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Botswana, that number is 20.0% as of 2013.
pay a 44.4% lower top tax rate
South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Botswana, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.
be 16.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Botswana, however, that number is 19.3% as of 2009.
Life
be 21.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 119.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Botswana, 144.0 women do as of 2017.
Basic Needs
be 37.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 94% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Botswana, that number is 59% of people on average (71% in urban areas, and 29% in rural areas) as of 2019.
Expenditures
spend 33.0% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Botswana, that number is 6.1% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, South African Revenue Service.
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.