Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 51.7% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 46.6% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 9.6 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 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.
see 90.3% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 89.7% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
have 36.0% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
make 91.4% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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 United States, 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.
be 39.3% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 62.5% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 48.7% more on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Safety
be 97.4% more likely to be murdered
United States has a homicide rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 16.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 92.1% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 80.9% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
use 87.2% less electricity
United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 79.9% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.