Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Syria, you would:
Health
be 40.0% less likely to be obese
In Syria, 33.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 10.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Syria spends $122 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
be 157.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Syria, 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 3.3 years less
In Syria, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
have 75.1% fewer doctors per person
Syria has 15.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 14.1% less access to essential health services
Syria scores 64 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 14.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Syria has a suicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 80.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.
make 7.4 times more money
Syria has a GDP per capita of $1,057 as of 2022, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 80.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Syria, 13.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 7.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Syria, approximately 20.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 81.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Syria, approximately 17.7 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 23.3% more likely to have internet access
In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 14.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Syria, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 73% 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 2.3 times more on healthcare
Syria spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 44.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Syria, road accidents kill 29.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 98.2% less strain on fresh water
Syria withdraws 124% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 92.2% more electricity
Syria uses 854 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 33.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Syria, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.2 times more CO2
Syria emits 1.3 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), The World Factbook (2014–2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Syria vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.