If you lived in Botswana instead of Timor-Leste, you would:

Health

live 1.4 years longer

In Timor-Leste, 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.

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see 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Timor-Leste spends $461 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.

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be 78.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Timor-Leste, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.

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be 5.5 times more likely to be obese

In Timor-Leste, 3.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.

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have 49.6% fewer doctors per person

Timor-Leste has 7.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.

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be 2.3 times more likely to die by suicide

Timor-Leste has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 61.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Timor-Leste, 41.8% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.

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make 5.8 times more money

Timor-Leste has a GDP per capita of $1,341 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.

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be 15.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Timor-Leste, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.

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Life

be 19.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Timor-Leste, approximately 192.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 11.9% more children

In Timor-Leste, there are approximately 21.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 41.0% more likely to have internet access

In Timor-Leste, approximately 40.8% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.

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be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Timor-Leste, 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.

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Expenditures

spend 34.8% less on healthcare

Timor-Leste spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 53.8% more on education

Timor-Leste spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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Safety

be 37.5% more likely to die in a road accident

In Timor-Leste, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 744.0 times more home broadband

Timor-Leste has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.

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live with 92.1% less strain on fresh water

Timor-Leste withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 5.5 times more CO2

Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2014). How we calculate this

Botswana: At a glance

Botswana is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 566,730 sq km. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. More than four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
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