Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Botswana instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

be 26.5% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Botswana, that number is 18.9% of people as of 2016.

be 49.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Costa Rica, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2020.

live 14.0 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 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

be 36.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.

make 32.2% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $17,500 as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 23.4% as of 2023.

pay a 66.7% higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Botswana, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 81.5% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 19.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 8.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Costa Rica, approximately 22.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Botswana, 186.0 women do as of 2020.

be 3.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In Costa Rica, approximately 8.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Botswana, on the other hand, 25.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 24.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In Costa Rica, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Botswana, 76% of the population do as of 2022.

be 10.8% less likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 83.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Botswana, about 74.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 21.5% less on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 29.9% more on education

Costa Rica spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. 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, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

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 Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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