Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 2.8 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 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 5.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Botswana spends $1,310 as of 2023.
have 17.0% more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Botswana has 3.8 as of 2023.
be 67.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 15.7% of people as of 2024.
be 70.9% more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Botswana, that number is 19.8% of people as of 2024.
be 17.1% more likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 5.9 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $7,778 as of 2025.
be 4.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Botswana, that number is 24.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 82.4% more likely to die during childbirth
In Zambia, approximately 85.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Botswana, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
have 25.6% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 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 48.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Zambia, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 18% 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 3.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Botswana, about 57.5% do as of 2024.
be 25.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Zambia, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 58% 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.
Expenditures
spend 98.0% more on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Botswana spends 8.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Infrastructure
find 9.4 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Botswana has 7.4 as of 2024.
live with 21.5% less strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Botswana withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Botswana uses 1,641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 10.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Botswana, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.1 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Botswana
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.