How much coast is there?

Botswana: 0 km (2026 edition) · Zambia: 0 km (2026 edition)

How high can you climb?

Zambia’s highest peak towers 835 m above Botswana’s.

Botswana: 1,495 m (2026 edition) · Zambia: 2,330 m (2026 edition)

How many people live there?

Zambia has 8.6 times as many people as Botswana.

Botswana: 2.56 million (2025) · Zambia: 21.9 million (2025)

How crowded is it?

Zambia is 6.5 times as densely populated as Botswana.

Botswana: 5 per km² (2025) · Zambia: 29 per km² (2025)

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in Botswana is 5.4 years older than in Zambia.

Botswana: 22.9 years (2023) · Zambia: 17.5 years (2023)

How many children per woman?

Women in Zambia have 1.3 more children on average than in Botswana.

Botswana: 2.7 children per woman (2024) · Zambia: 4.04 children per woman (2024)

How many people are 65 or older?

4.1% of people in Botswana are 65 or older, versus 2.0% in Zambia.

Botswana: 4.1% (2025) · Zambia: 2% (2025)

How many Nobel laureates were born there?

Botswana and Zambia are practically level.

Botswana: 0 (2025) · Zambia: 0 (2025)

How many official languages?

Botswana has 2 official languages, Zambia 1.

Botswana: 2 (2026) · Zambia: 1 (2026)

How big is the economy?

Zambia’s economy is 45% larger than Botswana’s.

Botswana: $19.9 billion (2025) · Zambia: $28.9 billion (2025)

How much is produced per person?

Botswana produces 4.7 times as much per person as Zambia.

Botswana: Int$20,698 (2025) · Zambia: Int$4,379 (2025)

How evenly is income shared?

Income is more unequally shared in Botswana than in Zambia (Gini 3.4 points higher).

Botswana: 54.9 (2015) · Zambia: 51.5 (2022)

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 24% in Botswana, versus 5.9% in Zambia.

Botswana: 24.5% (2025) · Zambia: 5.9% (2025)

How much goes to the military?

Botswana spends 2.8% of its GDP on the military, Zambia 1.3%.

Botswana: 2.8% (2024) · Zambia: 1.3% (2024)

How expensive is it?

Botswana’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Zambia’s.

Botswana: 38% (2025) · Zambia: 30% (2025)

How much is spent on health?

Botswana spends 6.2 times as much on health per person as Zambia.

Botswana: $490 (2023) · Zambia: $80 (2023)

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in Zambia is 8% more likely to die before turning one than in Botswana.

Botswana: 32.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Zambia: 34.6 per 1,000 (2024)

How many doctors are there?

Botswana has 17% more doctors per person than Zambia.

Botswana: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Zambia: 0.3 per 1,000 (2022)

How common is obesity?

18% of adults in Botswana are obese, versus 10% in Zambia.

Botswana: 18.1% (2024) · Zambia: 10.1% (2024)

How many adults smoke?

18% of adults in Botswana smoke, versus 14% in Zambia.

Botswana: 18% (2024) · Zambia: 14.3% (2024)

How do people rate their lives?

People in Zambia rate their lives 0.64 points higher than in Botswana.

Botswana: 3.46 (2025) · Zambia: 4.11 (2025)

How much do people drink?

Adults in Botswana drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in Zambia.

Botswana: 4.9 litres (2023) · Zambia: 2.1 litres (2023)

How much meat is on the menu?

Botswana has 2.5 times as much meat per person as Zambia.

Botswana: 43.3 kg (2023) · Zambia: 17.6 kg (2023)

How much food is there per day?

Botswana has 544 kcal more food per person per day than Zambia.

Botswana: 2,714 kcal (2023) · Zambia: 2,170 kcal (2023)

How long do people work?

Workers in Botswana put in 59 more hours a year than in Zambia.

Botswana: 2,258 hours (2023) · Zambia: 2,200 hours (2023)

How long do people go to school?

Adults in Botswana went to school 3.1 years longer than in Zambia.

Botswana: 10.5 years (2023) · Zambia: 7.4 years (2023)

How many tourists visit?

Botswana welcomed 9.1 times as many tourists per resident as Zambia (2019).

Botswana: 0.62 (2019) · Zambia: 0.07 (2019)

How many people are online?

57% of people in Botswana are online, versus 17% in Zambia.

Botswana: 57% (2024) · Zambia: 17% (2024)

Who has electricity at home?

80% of people in Botswana have electricity, versus 54% in Zambia.

Botswana: 80.2% (2024) · Zambia: 53.6% (2024)

How many live in cities?

68% of people in Botswana live in cities, versus 46% in Zambia.

Botswana: 68% (2025) · Zambia: 46% (2025)

How many phones per person?

Botswana has 164 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Zambia 109.

Botswana: 164 (2024) · Zambia: 109 (2024)

How much railway is there?

Zambia’s railway network is 41% longer than Botswana’s.

Botswana: 886 km (2021) · Zambia: 1,248 km (2019)

How much do they fly?

Airlines from Botswana fly 4.6 times as many passengers per resident as those from Zambia.

Botswana: 0.07 (2023) · Zambia: 0.01 (2023)

How much of the land is forest?

Forest covers 60% of Zambia, but only 26% of Botswana.

Botswana: 26.3% (2023) · Zambia: 59.5% (2023)

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in Botswana emits 5.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Zambia.

Botswana: 3 t (2024) · Zambia: 0.6 t (2024)

How green is the power grid?

87% of Zambia’s electricity is renewable, versus 0.3% in Botswana.

Botswana: 0.3% (2024) · Zambia: 87.5% (2024)

How clean is the air?

The air in Zambia carries 52% more fine dust than in Botswana.

Botswana: 16.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Zambia: 25.4 µg/m³ (2024)

How common is murder?

You are 2.2 times as likely to be murdered in Botswana as in Zambia.

Botswana: 11.4 per 100k (2021) · Zambia: 5.2 per 100k (2015)

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in Zambia are 4% deadlier than in Botswana.

Botswana: 16.5 per 100k (2021) · Zambia: 17.1 per 100k (2021)

How warm is it?

Botswana and Zambia are practically level.

Botswana: 22.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Zambia: 22.3°C (2016–2025 avg)

How much rain falls?

Zambia gets 2.4 times as much rain as Botswana.

Botswana: 462 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Zambia: 1,116 mm (2016–2025 avg)