Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Namibia is 42% bigger than Botswana
Botswana: 581,730 km² (2024) · Namibia: 824,292 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Botswana: 0 km (2026 edition) · Namibia: 1,572 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Namibia’s highest peak towers 1,078 m above Botswana’s
Botswana: 1,495 m (2026 edition) · Namibia: 2,573 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 47% of Namibia, versus 46% of Botswana
Botswana: 45.6% (2024) · Namibia: 47.1% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Namibia has 21% more people than Botswana
Botswana: 2.56 million (2025) · Namibia: 3.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Botswana is 20% more densely populated than Namibia
Botswana: 5 per km² (2025) · Namibia: 4 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Botswana are 3.4 cm taller than in Namibia
Botswana: 173.2 cm (2019) · Namibia: 169.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Botswana are 1.8 cm taller than in Namibia
Botswana: 162.1 cm (2019) · Namibia: 160.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Botswana is 1.9 years older than in Namibia
Botswana: 22.9 years (2023) · Namibia: 21 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Namibia have 0.5 more children on average than in Botswana
Botswana: 2.7 children per woman (2024) · Namibia: 3.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Botswana and Namibia are practically level
Botswana: 4.1% (2025) · Namibia: 3.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Namibia hosts 5.3 times as many refugees per resident as Botswana
Botswana: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Namibia: 1.8 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Botswana and Namibia are practically level
Botswana: 0 (2026) · Namibia: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Namibia has 9 official languages, Botswana 2
Botswana: 2 (2026) · Namibia: 9 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Botswana’s economy is 32% larger than Namibia’s
Botswana: $19.9 billion (2025) · Namibia: $15.1 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Botswana produces 73% more per person than Namibia
Botswana: Int$20,698 (2025) · Namibia: Int$11,986 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Namibia than in Botswana (Gini 4.2 points higher)
Botswana: 54.9 (2015) · Namibia: 59.1 (2015)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 24% in Botswana, versus 19% in Namibia
Botswana: 24.5% (2025) · Namibia: 19.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Botswana and Namibia are practically level
Botswana: 3.1% (2025) · Namibia: 2.8% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Namibia’s central government collects 34% of GDP in tax, Botswana’s 22%
Botswana: 22.4% (2023) · Namibia: 33.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Namibia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Botswana’s
Botswana: 38% (2025) · Namibia: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Botswana spends 23% more on health per person than Namibia
Botswana: $490 (2023) · Namibia: $397 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Botswana live 1.8 years longer than in Namibia
Botswana: 69.3 years (2024) · Namibia: 67.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Namibia is 13% more likely to die before turning one than in Botswana
Botswana: 32.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Namibia: 36.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Namibia has 46% more doctors per person than Botswana
Botswana: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Namibia: 0.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Botswana: 2.4 per 1,000 (2022) · Namibia: no data
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Namibia is 3% higher than in Botswana
Botswana: 15.7 per 100k (2023) · Namibia: 16.2 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
18% of adults in Botswana are obese, versus 17% in Namibia
Botswana: 18.1% (2024) · Namibia: 16.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Botswana: 18% (2024) · Namibia: no data
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Namibia rate their lives 1.32 points higher than in Botswana
Botswana: 3.46 (2025) · Namibia: 4.78 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Namibia drink 74% more alcohol than in Botswana
Botswana: 4.9 litres (2023) · Namibia: 8.5 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Botswana has 79% more meat per person than Namibia
Botswana: 43.3 kg (2023) · Namibia: 24.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Botswana has 133 kcal more food per person per day than Namibia
Botswana: 2,714 kcal (2023) · Namibia: 2,581 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Botswana put in 74 more hours a year than in Namibia
Botswana: 2,258 hours (2023) · Namibia: 2,184 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Botswana went to school 3.2 years longer than in Namibia
Botswana: 10.5 years (2023) · Namibia: 7.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Botswana welcomed 2.1 times as many tourists per resident as Namibia (2019)
Botswana: 0.62 (2019) · Namibia: 0.29 (2023)
How many World Heritage sites?
Botswana and Namibia are practically level
Botswana: 2 (2026) · Namibia: 2 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Namibia has won 5 Olympic medals, Botswana 4
Botswana: 4 (2026 edition) · Namibia: 5 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
65% of people in Namibia are online, versus 57% in Botswana
Botswana: 57% (2024) · Namibia: 65% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Botswana is 3.7 times as fast as in Namibia
Botswana: 94 Mbps (2026) · Namibia: 25 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
80% of people in Botswana have electricity, versus 59% in Namibia
Botswana: 80.2% (2024) · Namibia: 59.3% (2024)
How many live in cities?
68% of people in Botswana live in cities, versus 51% in Namibia
Botswana: 68% (2025) · Namibia: 51% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Botswana has 164 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Namibia 85
Botswana: 164 (2024) · Namibia: 85 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Namibia’s railway network is 3 times as long as Botswana’s
Botswana: 886 km (2021) · Namibia: 2,628 km (2014)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Botswana fly 3.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Namibia
Botswana: 0.07 (2023) · Namibia: 0.02 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 28% of Botswana, but only 9.8% of Namibia
Botswana: 27.8% (2024) · Namibia: 9.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Botswana emits 2.6 times as much CO₂ as someone in Namibia
Botswana: 3 t (2024) · Namibia: 1.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
98% of Namibia’s electricity is renewable, versus 0.3% in Botswana
Botswana: 0.3% (2024) · Namibia: 97.6% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Botswana carries 8% more fine dust than in Namibia
Botswana: 16.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Namibia: 15.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 1% more likely to be murdered in Botswana than in Namibia
Botswana: 11.4 per 100k (2021) · Namibia: 11.2 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Namibia are 18% deadlier than in Botswana
Botswana: 21.9 per 100k (2023) · Namibia: 25.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Botswana is on average 0.3 °C warmer than Namibia
Botswana: 22.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Namibia: 22.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Botswana gets 51% more rain than Namibia
Botswana: 462 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Namibia: 306 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Botswana bigger than Namibia?
Namibia is larger. Namibia is 42% bigger than Botswana.
Which has more people, Botswana or Namibia?
Namibia has 21% more people than Botswana (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Botswana or Namibia?
People in Botswana live 1.8 years longer than in Namibia. Life expectancy at birth is 69.3 years in Botswana and 67.5 in Namibia.
Are people taller in Botswana or Namibia?
Men in Botswana are 3.4 cm taller than in Namibia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
