Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Botswana fits inside South Africa 2.1 times.
Botswana: 581,730 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Botswana: 0 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 1,955 m above Botswana’s.
Botswana: 1,495 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 25 times as many people as Botswana.
Botswana: 2.56 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 12 times as densely populated as Botswana.
Botswana: 5 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Botswana are 3.5 cm taller than in South Africa.
Botswana: 173.2 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Botswana are 3.5 cm taller than in South Africa.
Botswana: 162.1 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Africa is 5.3 years older than in Botswana.
Botswana: 22.9 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Botswana have 0.5 more children on average than in South Africa.
Botswana: 2.7 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
6.9% of people in South Africa are 65 or older, versus 4.1% in Botswana.
Botswana: 4.1% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Africa has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Botswana 0.0.
Botswana: 0 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Botswana 2.
Botswana: 2 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 21 times the size of Botswana’s.
Botswana: $19.9 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Botswana produces 30% more per person than South Africa.
Botswana: Int$20,698 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Botswana than in South Africa (Gini 0.8 points higher).
Botswana: 54.9 (2015) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 24% in Botswana.
Botswana: 24.5% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Botswana spends 2.8% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Botswana: 2.8% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Africa’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Botswana’s.
Botswana: 38% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 10% more on health per person than Botswana.
Botswana: $490 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Botswana live 3 years longer than in South Africa.
Botswana: 69.3 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Botswana is 33% more likely to die before turning one than in South Africa.
Botswana: 32.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
South Africa has 2.1 times as many doctors per person as Botswana.
Botswana: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 18% in Botswana.
Botswana: 18.1% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 18% in Botswana.
Botswana: 18% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in South Africa rate their lives 1.55 points higher than in Botswana.
Botswana: 3.46 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 77% more alcohol than in Botswana.
Botswana: 4.9 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 35% more meat per person than Botswana.
Botswana: 43.3 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Botswana has 20 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Botswana: 2,714 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Botswana put in 77 more hours a year than in South Africa.
Botswana: 2,258 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 1.1 years longer than in Botswana.
Botswana: 10.5 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Botswana welcomed 4.5 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Botswana: 0.62 (2019) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
78% of people in South Africa are online, versus 57% in Botswana.
Botswana: 57% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
90% of people in South Africa have electricity, versus 80% in Botswana.
Botswana: 80.2% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
68% of people in Botswana live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Botswana: 68% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Botswana 164.
Botswana: 164 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 24 times as long as Botswana’s.
Botswana: 886 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Africa fly 3.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Botswana.
Botswana: 0.07 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 26% of Botswana, but only 14% of South Africa.
Botswana: 26.3% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 2.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Botswana.
Botswana: 3 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
14% of South Africa’s electricity is renewable, versus 0.3% in Botswana.
Botswana: 0.3% (2024) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 46% more fine dust than in Botswana.
Botswana: 16.7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.8 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Botswana.
Botswana: 11.4 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 48% deadlier than in Botswana.
Botswana: 16.5 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Botswana is on average 4.0 °C warmer than South Africa.
Botswana: 22.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Africa gets 11% more rain than Botswana.
Botswana: 462 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Botswana bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Botswana fits inside South Africa 2.1 times.
Which has more people, Botswana or South Africa?
South Africa has 25 times as many people as Botswana (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Botswana or South Africa?
People in Botswana live 3 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 69.3 years in Botswana and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Botswana or South Africa?
Men in Botswana are 3.5 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
