World median is the middle country on each statistic: half of all countries with data are above it, half below. It is not an average, so it is never pulled up or down by giants or microstates.
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The median country fits inside Botswana 5.2 times.
Botswana: 581,730 km² (2023) · World median: 111,370 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Botswana: 0 km (2026 edition) · World median: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The median country’s highest peak towers 840 m above Botswana’s.
Botswana: 1,495 m (2026 edition) · World median: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The median country has 2.9 times as many people as Botswana.
Botswana: 2.56 million (2025) · World median: 7.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The median country is 22 times as densely populated as Botswana.
Botswana: 5 per km² (2025) · World median: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
The median country and Botswana are practically level.
Botswana: 173.2 cm (2019) · World median: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Botswana are 1.5 cm taller than in the median country.
Botswana: 162.1 cm (2019) · World median: 160.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the median country is 8.2 years older than in Botswana.
Botswana: 22.9 years (2023) · World median: 31.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Botswana have 0.8 more children on average than in the median country.
Botswana: 2.7 children per woman (2024) · World median: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.6% of people in the median country are 65 or older, versus 4.1% in Botswana.
Botswana: 4.1% (2025) · World median: 8.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Botswana and the median country are practically level.
Botswana: 0 (2025) · World median: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Botswana has 2 official languages, the median country 1.
Botswana: 2 (2026) · World median: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The median country’s economy is 2.3 times the size of Botswana’s.
Botswana: $19.9 billion (2025) · World median: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The median country produces 2% more per person than Botswana.
Botswana: Int$20,698 (2025) · World median: Int$21,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Botswana than in the median country (Gini 20.5 points higher).
Botswana: 54.9 (2015) · World median: 34.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 24% in Botswana, versus 5.1% in the median country.
Botswana: 24.5% (2025) · World median: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Botswana spends 2.8% of its GDP on the military, the median country 1.7%.
Botswana: 2.8% (2024) · World median: 1.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The median country’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Botswana’s.
Botswana: 38% (2025) · World median: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Botswana spends 4% more on health per person than the median country.
Botswana: $490 (2023) · World median: $470 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the median country live 5.3 years longer than in Botswana.
Botswana: 69.3 years (2024) · World median: 74.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Botswana is 2.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in the median country.
Botswana: 32.1 per 1,000 (2024) · World median: 12.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The median country has 4.4 times as many doctors per person as Botswana.
Botswana: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023) · World median: 1.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in the median country are obese, versus 18% in Botswana.
Botswana: 18.1% (2024) · World median: 24% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in the median country smoke, versus 18% in Botswana.
Botswana: 18% (2024) · World median: 19% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the median country rate their lives 2.37 points higher than in Botswana.
Botswana: 3.46 (2025) · World median: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Botswana drink 12% more alcohol than in the median country.
Botswana: 4.9 litres (2023) · World median: 4.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The median country has 30% more meat per person than Botswana.
Botswana: 43.3 kg (2023) · World median: 56.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The median country has 224 kcal more food per person per day than Botswana.
Botswana: 2,714 kcal (2023) · World median: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Botswana put in 284 more hours a year than in the median country.
Botswana: 2,258 hours (2023) · World median: 1,974 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Botswana went to school 0.54 years longer than in the median country.
Botswana: 10.5 years (2023) · World median: 9.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Botswana welcomed 81% more tourists per resident than the median country (2019).
Botswana: 0.62 (2019) · World median: 0.34 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in the median country are online, versus 57% in Botswana.
Botswana: 57% (2024) · World median: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the median country have electricity, versus 80% in Botswana.
Botswana: 80.2% (2024) · World median: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
68% of people in Botswana live in cities, versus 64% in the median country.
Botswana: 68% (2025) · World median: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Botswana has 164 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the median country 115.
Botswana: 164 (2024) · World median: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The median country’s railway network is 2.4 times as long as Botswana’s.
Botswana: 886 km (2021) · World median: 2,141 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the median country fly 3.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Botswana.
Botswana: 0.07 (2023) · World median: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 31% of the median country, but only 26% of Botswana.
Botswana: 26.3% (2023) · World median: 31.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The median country and Botswana are nearly identical here.
Botswana: 3 t (2024) · World median: 3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
31% of the median country’s electricity is renewable, versus 0.3% in Botswana.
Botswana: 0.3% (2024) · World median: 30.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
Botswana and the median country are nearly identical here.
Botswana: 16.7 µg/m³ (2024) · World median: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5 times as likely to be murdered in Botswana as in the median country.
Botswana: 11.4 per 100k (2021) · World median: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Botswana are 34% deadlier than in the median country.
Botswana: 16.5 per 100k (2021) · World median: 12.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The median country is on average 0.6 °C warmer than Botswana.
Botswana: 22.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 23°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The median country gets 2.2 times as much rain as Botswana.
Botswana: 462 mm (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Botswana bigger than the median country?
Botswana is larger. The median country fits inside Botswana 5.2 times.
Which has more people, Botswana or the median country?
The median country has 2.9 times as many people as Botswana (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Botswana or the median country?
People in the median country live 5.3 years longer than in Botswana. Life expectancy at birth is 69.3 years in Botswana and 74.6 in the median country.
Are people taller in Botswana or the median country?
The median country and Botswana are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
