Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 18.2% less likely to be obese

In Barbados, 23.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Botswana, that number is 18.9% of people as of 2016.

be 18.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Barbados, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2019. In Botswana, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2020.

live 12.9 years less

In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022. In Botswana, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 25.4% lower top tax rate

Barbados has a top tax rate of 33.5% as of 2016. In Botswana, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Barbados, 8.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Botswana, that number is 23.6% as of 2022.

Life

have 83.2% more children

In Barbados, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 19.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Barbados, approximately 39.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Botswana, 186.0 women do as of 2020.

be 11.1% less likely to be literate

In Barbados, the literacy rate is 99.6% as of 2014. In Botswana, it is 88.5% as of 2015.

be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Barbados, approximately 9.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Botswana, on the other hand, 25.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 26.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Barbados, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Botswana, 74% of the population do as of 2021.

be 14.0% less likely to have internet access

In Barbados, approximately 86.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Botswana, about 74.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 13.9% less on healthcare

Barbados spends 7.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 33.8% more on education

Barbados spends 6.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Botswana spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, Ministry of Finance, Barbados.

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 Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.

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