Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
be 10.9% less likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
live 0.9 years less
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 80.4% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 26.7% less access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 22.3% more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 18.9% more money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 5.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
be 80.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Turkmenistan, 0.2% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.
Life
have 16.5% more children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 31.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 24.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Turkmenistan, 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 13.8% more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 42.5% more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 98.4% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 40.9% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 36.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 74.8% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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 (2012–2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.