Botswana vs South Africa: Share of population that cannot afford a healthy diet
Botswana
59.9%
in 2024
South Africa
61.7%
in 2024
Botswana rank
32nd
South Africa rank
29th
Share of population that cannot afford a healthy diet over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 61.7% against 59.9% in Botswana, a difference of 1.8%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 8 shared years of data; in 2017 it was Botswana ahead.
Botswana ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 29th of 150 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 61.6% | 60.4% | 1.2% | Botswana |
| 2020s | 60.3% | 61.5% | 1.2% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population that cannot afford a healthy diet, Botswana or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 61.7% against 59.9% in Botswana as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of population that cannot afford a healthy diet between Botswana and South Africa?
- 1.8%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2017 to 2024.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for share of population that cannot afford a healthy diet?
- Botswana ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 29th of 150 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAO and World Bank (2025), using data and methods from Bai et al. (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population that cannot afford a healthy diet. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of the total population unable to afford a healthy diet. A diet is considered unaffordable when the diet cost plus expenditures for basic non-food needs exceed income per capita per day.