Botswana vs South Africa: Gender Development Index
Botswana
0.997
in 2023
South Africa
0.996
in 2023
Botswana rank
35th
South Africa rank
38th
Gender Development Index over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 0.997 against 0.996 in South Africa, a difference of 0.001.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Botswana ranks 35th and South Africa ranks 38th of 179 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.9551 | 0.9698 | 0.0147 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.9538 | 0.9661 | 0.0123 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.9732 | 0.9726 | 0.0006 | Botswana |
| 2020s | 0.9962 | 0.9852 | 0.011 | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gender development index, Botswana or South Africa?
- Botswana, at 0.997 against 0.996 in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in gender development index between Botswana and South Africa?
- 0.001, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for gender development index?
- Botswana ranks 35th and South Africa ranks 38th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Gender Development Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The Gender Development Index (GDI) measures gender inequalities in the achievement of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living.