Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Vanuatu, you would:
Health
be 12.3% less likely to be obese
In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
see 9.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 17.0% more access to essential health services
Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.
be 46.9% less likely to die by suicide
Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 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 Vanuatu, 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 2.4 years less
In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
make 92.6% more money
Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 4.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vanuatu, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 55.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vanuatu, approximately 14.4 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.
have 11.9% fewer children
In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 23.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% 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 17.8% less likely to have internet access
In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 51.9% more on healthcare
Vanuatu spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.5 times more likely to be murdered
Vanuatu has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 11.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 32.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Botswana, they kill 16.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.4 times more home broadband
Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 3.1 times more CO2
Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vanuatu vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.