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Country comparison

Botswana vs South Africa

Botswana and South Africa side by side across 71 indicators — each row links to the full 54-country ranking, with sources and the API call behind every figure.

GDP$19.4B vs $401.14BBotswana vs South Africa
GDP per Capita$7,696 vs $6,267Botswana vs South Africa
Population2.52M vs 64.01MBotswana vs South Africa

Indicator by indicator

71 indicators
Indicator Botswana South AfricaPeriod
GDPEconomy$19.4B$401.14B2024
GDP per CapitaEconomy$7,696$6,2672024
Inflation RateEconomy10.3%4%2026-04
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy—7%2026-05-01
Official Exchange RateEconomy14.07 LCU/USD16.55 LCU/USD2026-05
Budget BalanceEconomy-10.7%-4.9%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy24.5%32.4%2025
Public DebtEconomy47%78.9%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$-3.17B$7.77B2024
GDP GrowthEconomy-3%0.5%2024
GNI per CapitaEconomy$7,750$6,1102024
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$20,570$15,1502024
GDP (PPP)Economy$51.78B$989.31B2024
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy1.7%2.8%2024
Industry (% of GDP)Economy29.4%24.3%2024
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy5.5%12.8%2024
Services (% of GDP)Economy63.5%63%2024
Investment (% of GDP)Economy36%14.1%2024
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$128.3M$855.37M2024
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy0.7%0.2%2024
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy11.9%44.8%2024
Foreign ReservesEconomy$3.46B$65.43B2024
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy32.9%89.4%2024
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy22.5%25.4%2024
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy68.8%55.6%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy63.7%49.9%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy54.954.12015
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy21.4%17.4%2015
Account OwnershipEconomy61.4%81.1%2024
Youth NEET RateEconomy38%34.6%2024
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy2.8%0.7%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy71.1%61.6%2024
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy2.8%3.9%2024
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$217M$2.72B2020
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy1.83M3.89M2018
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.7310.7412023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment0.490.3882023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.5090.4762023
PopulationDemographics2.52M64.01M2024
Population GrowthDemographics1.6%1.2%2024
Life ExpectancyDemographics69.3 years66.3 years2024
Median AgeDemographics23.7 years28.9 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics2.72.212024
Rural PopulationDemographics32.5%36.3%2024
Population Under 15Demographics32.1%25.9%2024
Infant MortalityHealth32.124.22024
HIV PrevalenceHealth15.7%17.2%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health6.3%8.9%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.380.792023
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth60742023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth16.524.52021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth19%22.7%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth4.3%6.7%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth—73.8%2024
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education8.1%6%2020
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation21.4%23.5%2024
UndernourishmentFood Security24%10%2023
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture45.6%79.4%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture96.9113.22022
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture30K t98K t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture1K t6.33K t2024
Homicide RateGovernance11.443.72021
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance57412024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.6650.7432025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.520.6332025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.2040.5382025
Women in ParliamentGovernance9%44.7%2025
Internet UsersTechnology57.5%78.4%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology164179.32024
Electricity AccessInfrastructure76%87.7%2023
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate2.74 t6.88 t2024

Get this comparison via API

GET /v1/data

One call returns both countries' latest value for any indicator — JSON, with source metadata.

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?metric_key=gdp_current_usd&latest=true&country_codes=BW,ZA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
Botswana profileSouth Africa profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does Botswana or South Africa have the larger economy?

South Africa has the larger economy: $19.4B for Botswana versus $401.14B for South Africa (GDP, current US$).

How do Botswana and South Africa compare across indicators?

This page compares Botswana and South Africa on 71 indicators — economy, demographics, health, governance and more — each with its latest value, source, and a link to the full 54-country ranking.

How do I get this comparison via the API?

Call GET /v1/data?metric_key=<key>&latest=true&country_codes=BW,ZA with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

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