If you lived in Botswana instead of Yemen, you would:

Health

see 7.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Yemen spends $169 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.

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have 3.9 times more doctors per person

Yemen has 1.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.

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have 31.0% more access to essential health services

Yemen scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Botswana scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 157.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Yemen, 0.1% 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 48.6% more likely to be obese

In Yemen, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.

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be 98.3% more likely to die by suicide

Yemen has a suicide rate of 4.2 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 66.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Yemen, 48.6% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.

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be 41.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Yemen, 17.3% 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 26.2% more likely to be literate

In Yemen, the literacy rate is 70.1% as of 2015. In Botswana, it is 88.5% as of 2015.

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be 31.4% more likely to die during childbirth

In Yemen, approximately 118.0 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 29.1% fewer children

In Yemen, there are approximately 34.4 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 3.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Yemen, approximately 17.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.

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be 22.3% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Yemen, approximately 75% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 66% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 35.5% less on healthcare

Yemen spends 9.7% 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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Safety

be 44.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Yemen, road accidents kill 29.8 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 5.9 times more home broadband

Yemen has 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.

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live with 98.7% less strain on fresh water

Yemen withdraws 170% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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use 18.3 times more electricity

Yemen uses 90 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 49.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Yemen, air pollution causes 109.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

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emit 10.5 times more CO2

Yemen emits 0.3 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 (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2014–2015), World Health Organization (2024). 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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How big is Botswana compared to Yemen? See an in-depth size comparison.

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