54 countries · side-by-side on every indicatorLiveGet API key

Country comparison

South Africa vs Botswana

South Africa and Botswana 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$401.14B vs $19.4BSouth Africa vs Botswana
GDP per Capita$6,267 vs $7,696South Africa vs Botswana
Population64.01M vs 2.52MSouth Africa vs Botswana

Indicator by indicator

71 indicators
Indicator South Africa BotswanaPeriod
GDPEconomy$401.14B$19.4B2024
GDP per CapitaEconomy$6,267$7,6962024
Inflation RateEconomy4%10.3%2026-05
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy7%—2026-05-01
Official Exchange RateEconomy16.55 LCU/USD14.07 LCU/USD2026-05
Budget BalanceEconomy-4.9%-10.7%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy32.4%24.5%2025
Public DebtEconomy78.9%47%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$7.77B$-3.17B2024
GDP GrowthEconomy0.5%-3%2024
GNI per CapitaEconomy$6,110$7,7502024
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$15,150$20,5702024
GDP (PPP)Economy$989.31B$51.78B2024
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy2.8%1.7%2024
Industry (% of GDP)Economy24.3%29.4%2024
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy12.8%5.5%2024
Services (% of GDP)Economy63%63.5%2024
Investment (% of GDP)Economy14.1%36%2024
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$855.37M$128.3M2024
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy0.2%0.7%2024
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy44.8%11.9%2024
Foreign ReservesEconomy$65.43B$3.46B2024
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy89.4%32.9%2024
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy25.4%22.5%2023
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy55.6%68.8%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy49.9%63.7%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy54.154.92022
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy17.4%21.4%2022
Account OwnershipEconomy81.1%61.4%2024
Youth NEET RateEconomy34.6%38%2024
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy0.7%2.8%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy61.6%71.1%2024
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy3.9%2.8%2024
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$2.72B$217M2020
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy3.89M1.83M2020
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.7410.7312023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment0.3880.492023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.4760.5092023
PopulationDemographics64.01M2.52M2024
Population GrowthDemographics1.2%1.6%2024
Life ExpectancyDemographics66.3 years69.3 years2024
Median AgeDemographics28.9 years23.7 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics2.212.72024
Rural PopulationDemographics36.3%32.5%2024
Population Under 15Demographics25.9%32.1%2024
Infant MortalityHealth24.232.12024
HIV PrevalenceHealth17.2%15.7%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health8.9%6.3%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.790.382022
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth74602023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth24.516.52021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth22.7%19%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth6.7%4.3%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth73.8%—2024
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education6%8.1%2024
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation23.5%21.4%2023
UndernourishmentFood Security10%24%2023
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture79.4%45.6%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture113.296.92022
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture98K t30K t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture6.33K t1K t2024
Homicide RateGovernance43.711.42022
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance41572024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.7430.6652025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.6330.522025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.5380.2042025
Women in ParliamentGovernance44.7%9%2025
Internet UsersTechnology78.4%57.5%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology179.31642024
Electricity AccessInfrastructure87.7%76%2023
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate6.88 t2.74 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=ZA,BW" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
South Africa profileBotswana profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does South Africa or Botswana have the larger economy?

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

How do South Africa and Botswana compare across indicators?

This page compares South Africa and Botswana 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=ZA,BW with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

More comparisons

South Africa vs EswatiniSouth Africa vs LesothoSouth Africa vs NamibiaBotswana vs EswatiniBotswana vs LesothoBotswana vs Namibia