Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.7% less likely to be obese

In Panama, 22.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Botswana, that number is 18.9% of people as of 2016.

be 19.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Panama, 1.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2020.

live 12.0 years less

In Panama, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 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

be 25.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Panama, 21.5% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.

make 51.1% less money

Panama has a GDP per capita of $35,800 as of 2023, while in Botswana, the GDP per capita is $17,500 as of 2023.

be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Panama, 6.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 23.4% as of 2023.

Life

have 12.6% more children

In Panama, there are approximately 17.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 19.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Panama, approximately 50.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Botswana, 186.0 women do as of 2020.

be 53.2% more likely to die during infancy

In Panama, approximately 16.4 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 20.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In Panama, approximately 95% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 86% 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.

Expenditures

spend 36.1% less on healthcare

Panama spends 9.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 2.2 times more on education

Panama spends 3.9% 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: 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 Panama? See an in-depth size comparison.

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