Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
be 43.4% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 157.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Sri Lanka, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
live 8.4 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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 76.4% more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
have 66.6% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 17.9% less access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
make 55.5% more money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 6.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 6.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sri Lanka, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
Expenditures
spend 4.4 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 70.1% more on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.4 times more likely to be murdered
Sri Lanka has a homicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 43.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 97.5% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 2.5 times more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
find 12.2% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
Environment
be 48.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.6 times more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.