Which has higher human development index, Botswana or Namibia?

Botswana, at 0.634 HDI against 0.606 HDI in Namibia as of 2011.

What is the difference in human development index between Botswana and Namibia?

0.028 HDI, with Botswana ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Namibia?

9 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2011.

Where does this data come from?

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Botswana vs Namibia: Human development index

Botswana

0.634 HDI

in 2011

Namibia

0.606 HDI

in 2011

Botswana rank

8th

Namibia rank

10th

Human development index over time

Botswana
Namibia

How they compare

Botswana currently reports 0.634 HDI against 0.606 HDI in Namibia, a difference of 0.028 HDI.

Across all 9 years both countries report, Botswana has been ahead every year.

Botswana ranks 8th and Namibia ranks 10th of 50 countries.

Botswana has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Botswana	Namibia	Difference	Ahead
1990s	0.586 HDI	0.569 HDI	0.017 HDI	Botswana
2000s	0.6127 HDI	0.5863 HDI	0.0263 HDI	Botswana
2010s	0.6335 HDI	0.605 HDI	0.0285 HDI	Botswana

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Botswana or Namibia?: Botswana, at 0.634 HDI against 0.606 HDI in Namibia as of 2011.
What is the difference in human development index between Botswana and Namibia?: 0.028 HDI, with Botswana ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Namibia?: 9 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2011.
How do Botswana and Namibia rank globally for human development index?: Botswana ranks 8th and Namibia ranks 10th of 50 countries.
Where does this data come from?: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Botswana vs Namibia: Human development index. Statizoid, drawing on http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/human-development-index-hdi/botswana/namibia/

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About this data

Indicator: Human development index (HDI)
Unit: HDI
Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 50 places, 459 data points, 1980–2011
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices measuring achievements in each dimension. The HDI is the geometric mean of the three dimension indices and embodies imperfect substitutability across all HDI dimensions. It thus addresses one of the most serious criticisms of the linear aggregation formula, which allowed for perfect substitution across dimensions. Some substitutability is inherent in the definition of any index that increases with the values of its components. Data sources: Life expectancy at birth: UNDESA; Mean years of schooling: Barro and Lee; Expected years of schooling: UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Gross national income (GNI) per capita: World Bank.