Zimbabwe vs Botswana: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | Zimbabwe | Botswana | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 17.0m2025 | 2.6m2025 | 73 · 143 |
| Area | 390,760 km²2024 | 581,730 km²2024 | 62 · 49 |
| Density | 43.02024 | 4.42024 | 161 · 208 |
| Urban share | 40.5%2025 | 68.0%2025 | 171 · 98 |
| Fertility | 3.672024 | 2.702024 | 37 · 65 |
| Aged 65+ | 3.6%2025 | 4.1%2025 | 177 · 164 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $51.2bn2025 | $19.9bn2025 | 97 · 135 |
| GDP per capita | $3,0212025 | $7,7782025 | 164 · 117 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $6,4702025 | $20,6982025 | 157 · 103 |
| GDP growth | 8.1%2025 | -0.7%2025 | 10 · 198 |
| Agriculture share | 9.5%2025 | 1.8%2025 | 73 · 150 |
| Industry share | 37.1%2025 | 27.9%2025 | 23 · 64 |
| Services share | 48.2%2025 | 64.6%2025 | 155 · 57 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | 104.7%2022 | 2.7%2025 | 3 · 99 |
| Tax revenue | — | 22.4%2023 | — · 33 |
| Military spending | 0.56%2025 | 3.11%2025 | 141 · 28 |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 18.1%2024 | 32.0%2025 | 153 · 105 |
| FDI inflows | 1.9%2025 | -3.3%2025 | 107 · 193 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 9.3%2025 | 24.5%2025 | 42 · 4 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 30.1%2025 | 9.0%2025 | 76 · 172 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 7.7%2024 | 21.4%2024 | 158 · 127 |
| Education spending | 0.4%2023 | 8.1%2020 | 182 · 8 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 63.1 yrs2024 | 69.3 yrs2024 | 200 · 158 |
| Infant mortality | 62.42024 | 32.12024 | 6 · 43 |
| Health spending | 2.9%2023 | 6.3%2023 | 179 · 99 |
| Physicians | 0.142023 | 0.382023 | 165 · 136 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 41.6%2024 | 57.5%2024 | 155 · 142 |
| Fixed broadband | 1.92024 | 7.42024 | 158 · 128 |
| Electricity access | 62.0%2024 | 80.2%2024 | 184 · 171 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 0.77 t2024 | 2.74 t2024 | 148 · 98 |
| Renewable energy | 82.4%2021 | 27.4%2021 | 14 · 88 |
| Forest cover | 35.7%2024 | 27.8%2024 | 93 · 115 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
ZimbabweBotswana
Life expectancy
ZimbabweBotswana
Population
ZimbabweBotswana
Internet users
ZimbabweBotswana
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
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