Botswana vs South Africa: Healthy life expectancy
Botswana
53.1 Years
in 2021
South Africa
52.76 Years
in 2021
Botswana rank
171st
South Africa rank
174th
Healthy life expectancy over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 53.1 Years against 52.76 Years in South Africa, a difference of 0.34 Years.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 22 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Botswana ranks 171st and South Africa ranks 174th of 185 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 44.95 Years | 46.68 Years | 1.73 Years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 53.39 Years | 53.61 Years | 0.2133 Years | South Africa |
| 2020s | 54.7 Years | 53.9 Years | 0.8033 Years | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher healthy life expectancy, Botswana or South Africa?
- Botswana, at 53.1 Years against 52.76 Years in South Africa as of 2021.
- What is the difference in healthy life expectancy between Botswana and South Africa?
- 0.34 Years, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for healthy life expectancy?
- Botswana ranks 171st and South Africa ranks 174th of 185 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Healthy life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The estimated average number of years lived free from disability or disease burden. This is based on period life expectancy, after adjusting for the number of years lived in less than "full health" due to disease and/or injury.