Botswana
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Botswana.
CIA 2026
Matchup file
Botswana vs Lesotho
108 shared metrics.
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Botswana leads by 26 metrics. Use the same instinct in a quick real-data brawl.
Country briefing
What matters for both sides
Short real-world notes so the comparison reads like more than a stat strip.
Lesotho
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Kingdom of Lesotho.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, a rare country enclosed by just one neighbor.
Analysis
Botswana leads in 67 of 108 shared metrics, while Lesotho leads in 41.
Botswana's Forest Area is 430.6x that of Lesotho (149.0K km² vs 345.2 km²).
Botswana's Electricity Carbon Intensity is 39.9x that of Lesotho (851.31 gCO2/kWh vs 20.83 gCO2/kWh).
Botswana's Forest Coverage (%) is 22.1x that of Lesotho (26.29% vs 1.1%).
Botswana's Land Area is 17.7x that of Lesotho (566.7K km² vs 30.4K km²).
Botswana's Water Stress (%) is 9.6x that of Lesotho (8.9% vs 0.84%).
Key Comparisons
Forest AreaBotswana leads
Botswana
149.0K km²
Lesotho
345.2 km²
Electricity Carbon IntensityBotswana leads
Botswana
851.31 gCO2/kWh
Lesotho
20.83 gCO2/kWh
Forest Coverage (%)Botswana leads
Botswana
26.29%
Lesotho
1.1%
Land AreaBotswana leads
Botswana
566.7K km²
Lesotho
30.4K km²
Water Stress (%)Botswana leads
Botswana
8.9%
Lesotho
0.84%
GDP (Nominal)Botswana leads
Botswana
$19,402,063,512.91
Lesotho
$2,271,759,454.51
All Metrics
Forest Area
BotswanaBotswana
149.0K km²
Lesotho
345.2 km²
43063% higher
Electricity Carbon Intensity
BotswanaBotswana
851.31 gCO2/kWh
Lesotho
20.83 gCO2/kWh
3987% higher
Forest Coverage (%)
BotswanaBotswana
26.29%
Lesotho
1.1%
2212% higher
Land Area
BotswanaBotswana
566.7K km²
Lesotho
30.4K km²
1767% higher
Water Stress (%)
BotswanaBotswana
8.9%
Lesotho
0.84%
961% higher
GDP (Nominal)
BotswanaBotswana
$19,402,063,512.91
Lesotho
$2,271,759,454.51
754% higher
Scientific Publications
BotswanaBotswana
392.69
Lesotho
47.96
719% higher
Electric Generating Capacity
BotswanaBotswana
758.0K kW
Lesotho
104.0K kW
629% higher
Total CO2 Emissions
BotswanaBotswana
6.9 Mt CO2e
Lesotho
1.0 Mt CO2e
590% higher
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
BotswanaBotswana
$20,538.13
Lesotho
$3,001.16
584% higher
GNI Per Capita
BotswanaBotswana
$7,750
Lesotho
$1,180
557% higher
Government Debt (% GDP)
BotswanaBotswana
19.6% of GDP
Lesotho
3.0% of GDP
553% higher
High-Tech Exports (%)
BotswanaBotswana
0.54%
Lesotho
0.09%
502% higher
Electricity Generation
BotswanaBotswana
2.6 TWh
Lesotho
0.48 TWh
440% higher
Water Withdrawal
BotswanaBotswana
0.21 B m³
Lesotho
0.04 B m³
387% higher
Milk Consumption per Person
BotswanaBotswana
117.74 kg/person/yr
Lesotho
25.35 kg/person/yr
364% higher
Armed Forces Personnel
BotswanaBotswana
9.0K
Lesotho
2.0K
350% higher
Land Border Length
BotswanaBotswana
4.3K km
Lesotho
1.1K km
293% higher
Spirits Consumption
BotswanaBotswana
1.0 L/person/yr
Lesotho
0.27 L/person/yr
278% higher
Airports
BotswanaBotswana
127
Lesotho
34
274% higher
Health Spending Per Capita
BotswanaBotswana
$477.83
Lesotho
$133.7
257% higher
Border Neighbors
BotswanaBotswana
3.0
Lesotho
1.0
200% higher
Insufficient Physical Activity
BotswanaBotswana
22.67% of adults
Lesotho
8.0% of adults
182% higher
CO2 Per Capita
BotswanaBotswana
3.0 t/person/yr
Lesotho
1.1 t/person/yr
169% higher
ATMs per 100,000 Adults
BotswanaBotswana
35.62 per 100k
Lesotho
13.94 per 100k
155% higher
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
BotswanaBotswana
164 per 100 people
Lesotho
70 per 100 people
134% higher
Irrigated Land
BotswanaBotswana
25 km²
Lesotho
12 km²
108% higher
Safe Drinking Water (%)
BotswanaBotswana
63.29%
Lesotho
31.32%
102% higher
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
BotswanaBotswana
2.0 sites
Lesotho
1.0 sites
100% higher
Broadband Access (%)
LesothoBotswana
3.0 per 100 people
Lesotho
202 per 100 people
99% lower
Population Density
LesothoBotswana
4.4 /km²
Lesotho
76.14 /km²
94% lower
Youth Unemployment Rate
BotswanaBotswana
46% of youth labor force
Lesotho
24.67% of youth labor force
86% higher
Military Spending
BotswanaBotswana
2.8% of GDP
Lesotho
1.6% of GDP
81% higher
Suicide Rate
LesothoBotswana
8.3 per 100k
Lesotho
28.66 per 100k
71% lower
Internet Users (%)
BotswanaBotswana
81%
Lesotho
48%
69% higher
Alcohol Consumption
BotswanaBotswana
7.3 L/adult/yr
Lesotho
4.3 L/adult/yr
69% higher
Credit Card Ownership
BotswanaBotswana
7.3% of adults
Lesotho
4.4% of adults
67% higher
Women in Parliament (%)
LesothoBotswana
8.7%
Lesotho
25%
65% lower
Lowest Elevation
LesothoBotswana
513 m
Lesotho
1.4K m
63% lower
Doctors (per 1,000)
BotswanaBotswana
0.38 per 1k
Lesotho
0.24 per 1k
58% higher
Corruption Perceptions Index
BotswanaBotswana
58 pts
Lesotho
37 pts
57% higher
Political Corruption Index
LesothoBotswana
0.20
Lesotho
0.47
57% lower
Highest Elevation
LesothoBotswana
1.5K m
Lesotho
3.5K m
57% lower
Imports (% GDP)
LesothoBotswana
43.71% of GDP
Lesotho
98.59% of GDP
56% lower
Health Spending (% GDP)
LesothoBotswana
5.7% of GDP
Lesotho
12.65% of GDP
55% lower
Inflation Rate
LesothoBotswana
2.8%
Lesotho
6.1%
54% lower
Urban Population (%)
BotswanaBotswana
67.46%
Lesotho
43.68%
54% higher
Sanitation Access (%)
BotswanaBotswana
72.12%
Lesotho
47.89%
51% higher
Time Zones Count
BotswanaBotswana
3.0 time zones
Lesotho
2.0 time zones
50% higher
Official Languages Count
LesothoBotswana
1.0
Lesotho
2.0
50% lower
Beer Consumption
BotswanaBotswana
2.6 L/person/yr
Lesotho
1.7 L/person/yr
48% higher
Women in Senior Management
BotswanaBotswana
48.21% of managers
Lesotho
32.92% of managers
46% higher
Unemployment Rate
BotswanaBotswana
23.14%
Lesotho
16.15%
43% higher
Agricultural Land (%)
LesothoBotswana
45.63%
Lesotho
77.76%
41% lower
Tax Revenue (% GDP)
LesothoBotswana
22.49% of GDP
Lesotho
37.28% of GDP
40% lower
Capital Elevation
LesothoBotswana
1.0K m
Lesotho
1.6K m
37% lower
Exports (% GDP)
LesothoBotswana
27.39% of GDP
Lesotho
42.92% of GDP
36% lower
Human Development Index
BotswanaBotswana
0.73
Lesotho
0.55
33% higher
Child Mortality
LesothoBotswana
39.6 per 1k births
Lesotho
58.9 per 1k births
33% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
LesothoBotswana
17.7% of adults
Lesotho
26.6% of adults
33% lower
Electricity Access (%)
BotswanaBotswana
76%
Lesotho
57.3%
33% higher
Death Rate
LesothoBotswana
6.8 per 1k
Lesotho
10.2 per 1k
33% lower
Infant Mortality
LesothoBotswana
38.2 per 1k births
Lesotho
55.4 per 1k births
31% lower
Food Waste per Person
LesothoBotswana
96.68 kg/person/yr
Lesotho
130.18 kg/person/yr
26% lower
Minimum Paid Vacation Days
BotswanaBotswana
15 days/yr
Lesotho
12 days/yr
25% higher
Teen Birth Rate
LesothoBotswana
53.8 per 1k
Lesotho
70.64 per 1k
24% lower
Protected Land (%)
BotswanaBotswana
29.1%
Lesotho
23.4%
24% higher
Road Traffic Death Rate
LesothoBotswana
16.5 per 100k
Lesotho
21.6 per 100k
24% lower
Firms with Female Top Manager
LesothoBotswana
22.97% of firms
Lesotho
30.04% of firms
24% lower
Meat Consumption per Person
BotswanaBotswana
24.44 kg/person/yr
Lesotho
19.89 kg/person/yr
23% higher
Smoking Rate
LesothoBotswana
18.7%
Lesotho
24.3%
23% lower
Education Spending (% GDP)
BotswanaBotswana
8.1% of GDP
Lesotho
6.6% of GDP
22% higher
Renewable Energy (%)
LesothoBotswana
27.4%
Lesotho
34.9%
21% lower
Life Expectancy
BotswanaBotswana
69.2 years
Lesotho
57.4 years
21% higher
Life Evaluation Score
LesothoBotswana
3.5 pts
Lesotho
4.4 pts
21% lower
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
LesothoBotswana
18.91 µg/m³
Lesotho
23.44 µg/m³
19% lower
Seafood Consumption per Person
LesothoBotswana
2.4 kg/person/yr
Lesotho
2.9 kg/person/yr
16% lower
Firms Asked for Bribes
LesothoBotswana
6.1% of firms
Lesotho
7.3% of firms
16% lower
Firms Making Informal Payments
LesothoBotswana
8.6% of firms
Lesotho
10.23% of firms
16% lower
Informal Employment Share
LesothoBotswana
75.58% of employed people
Lesotho
89.13% of employed people
15% lower
Women's Political Empowerment
LesothoBotswana
0.70
Lesotho
0.81
14% lower
Population
BotswanaBotswana
2.52M
Lesotho
2.22M
13% higher
Average Weekly Work Hours
LesothoBotswana
42.92 hrs/week
Lesotho
49.26 hrs/week
13% lower
Obesity Rate
LesothoBotswana
17.46%
Lesotho
19.29%
10% lower
Fertility Rate
BotswanaBotswana
2.7 children/woman
Lesotho
2.5 children/woman
10% higher
Freedom of Expression Index
BotswanaBotswana
0.80
Lesotho
0.73
10% higher
Dependency Ratio
LesothoBotswana
56.66% of working-age pop.
Lesotho
62.27% of working-age pop.
9% lower
Hypertension Prevalence
BotswanaBotswana
44.4% of adults
Lesotho
40.6% of adults
9% higher
Median Age
BotswanaBotswana
22.9 years
Lesotho
21.4 years
7% higher
Youth Population (%)
LesothoBotswana
32.13%
Lesotho
34.52%
7% lower
Elderly Population (%)
BotswanaBotswana
4.0%
Lesotho
3.9%
5% higher
Mobile Money Accounts
LesothoBotswana
51.62% of adults
Lesotho
53.47% of adults
3% lower
Liberal Democracy Index
BotswanaBotswana
0.52
Lesotho
0.51
2% higher
Birth Rate
LesothoBotswana
21.16 per 1k
Lesotho
21.68 per 1k
2% lower
Can Raise Emergency Money
BotswanaBotswana
78.75% of adults
Lesotho
77.4% of adults
2% higher
Digital Payments Used
LesothoBotswana
56.95% of adults
Lesotho
58.35% of adults
2% lower
Electoral Democracy Index
BotswanaBotswana
0.67
Lesotho
0.66
1% higher
Firms Hit by Power Outages
LesothoBotswana
64.16% of firms
Lesotho
64.55% of firms
1% lower
Coastline Length
BotswanaBotswana
0 km
Lesotho
0 km
ranked higher
Coal Electricity Share
BotswanaBotswana
98.25%
Lesotho
0%
ranked higher
Wind Electricity Share
BotswanaBotswana
0%
Lesotho
0%
ranked higher
Solar Electricity Share
BotswanaBotswana
0.29%
Lesotho
0%
ranked higher
GDP Growth Rate
LesothoBotswana
-2.99%
Lesotho
2.9%
ranked lower
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
BotswanaBotswana
0 per 1M people
Lesotho
0 per 1M people
ranked higher
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)
BotswanaBotswana
3.7% of GDP
Lesotho
-3.3% of GDP
ranked higher
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
BotswanaBotswana
2.4% of GDP
Lesotho
-0.55% of GDP
ranked higher
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
BotswanaBotswana
0 per 100k people
Lesotho
0 per 100k people
ranked higher
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
BotswanaBotswana
0 per 1M people
Lesotho
0 per 1M people
ranked higher
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