Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in Botswana
1 in 2,149 babies · 0.05% of births · about 62,416 a year
Right now, about 0.05% of the world's babies are born in Botswana — 1 in 2,149, or roughly 62,416 a year and 171 a day. Life expectancy there is 69.3 years.
How the 1 in 2,149 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Botswana has about 62,416 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.05% — 1 in 2,149. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Botswana, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 71.9 · men 66.8 | 69.3 years | 118th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 33.3 / 1,000 | 3.3% | 118th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 32.1 / 1,000 | 3.2% | 130th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 155 | 125th lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 2.70 | 116th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 12.4 years | 97th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 21.4% | 112th highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $20,698 | 78th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 54.90 | 2nd highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 68.0% | 73rd highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 18.0% | 91st lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 57.5% | 120th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 11.4 | 133rd lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 4.3% | 3rd lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 15.70% | 4th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 18.0% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
Botswana compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in Botswana is 69.3 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 3.3%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $20,698, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 12.4 years against 0.0. 68.0% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | Botswana | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 69.3 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 3.3% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $20,698 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 12.4 years | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 68.0% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 69.3 years on average, with roughly 33.3 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 12.4 years of school, and income per person is around $20,698. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Botswana
The game draws Botswana in about 1 of every 2,149 births. From there the life runs year by year: 69.3 years of life expectancy on average, a 3.3% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $20,698 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Guinea-Bissau — 1 in 2,017
- Chance of being born in Gabon — 1 in 1,907
- Chance of being born in Equatorial Guinea — 1 in 2,307
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in Botswana?
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Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.