Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 28.4% less likely to be obese

In Suriname, 26.4% 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 Suriname, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Botswana, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2020.

live 6.8 years less

In Suriname, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 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 77.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Suriname, 70.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Botswana, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2015.

pay a 34.2% lower top tax rate

Suriname has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Botswana, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Suriname, 7.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Botswana, that number is 23.4% as of 2023.

Life

be 16.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Suriname, approximately 30.2 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 31.5% more children

In Suriname, there are approximately 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Botswana, there are 19.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 93.8% more likely to die during childbirth

In Suriname, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Botswana, 186.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 12.1% more likely to have internet access

In Suriname, approximately 66.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Botswana, about 74.0% do as of 2021.

be 23.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Suriname, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 97% 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 74.0% more on education

Suriname spends 5.0% 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, Ministry of Finance, Botswana Unified Revenue Service.

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 Suriname? See an in-depth size comparison.

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