Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Botswana instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
be 66.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mauritania, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2020.
be 48.8% more likely to be obese
In Mauritania, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Botswana, that number is 18.9% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 2.8 times more money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $6,300 as of 2023, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $17,500 as of 2023.
be 49.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mauritania, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.
pay a 37.5% lower top tax rate
Mauritania has a top tax rate of 40.0% as of 2016. In Botswana, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 23.4% as of 2023.
Life
be 60.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mauritania, approximately 465.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Botswana, 186.0 women do as of 2020.
be 32.1% more likely to be literate
In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Botswana, it is 88.5% as of 2015.
be 50.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Mauritania, approximately 51.0 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.
have 27.9% fewer children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 27.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 19.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 54.9% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mauritania, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Botswana, that number is 76% of people on average (93% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2022.
be 25.4% more likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 59.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Botswana, about 74.0% do as of 2021.
be 16.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Mauritania, approximately 85% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 99% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 4.6 times more on education
Mauritania spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Botswana spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 82.4% more on healthcare
Mauritania spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Botswana Unified Revenue Service.
Botswana: At a glance
How big is Botswana compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.