Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 49.7% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 18.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 18.3% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $17,500 as of 2023, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $14,300 as of 2023.
be 19.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 23.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 28.0% as of 2023.
pay a 80.0% higher top tax rate
Botswana has a top tax rate of 25.0% as of 2016. In South Africa, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2017.
Life
be 31.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Botswana, approximately 186.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In South Africa, 127.0 women do as of 2020.
Basic Needs
be 14.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Botswana, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (93% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 86% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 24.1% less on education
Botswana spends 8.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. South Africa spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 38.7% more on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 8.6% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, South African Revenue Service.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.