Population growth in Botswana
Botswana: Population growth was 1.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Botswana, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 1.6% for population growth in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Botswana peaked at 6.0% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1968.
That places Botswana 66th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Botswana, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.3% | — |
| 1962 | 2.3% | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 2.3% | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 1.5% | -38.1% |
| 1966 | 0.6% | -62.3% |
| 1967 | 0.5% | -4.7% |
| 1968 | 0.5% | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 0.5% | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 0.6% | +4.8% |
| 1971 | 1.7% | +207.0% |
| 1972 | 3.6% | +110.4% |
| 1973 | 4.7% | +31.3% |
| 1974 | 4.9% | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 5.0% | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 5.2% | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 5.3% | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 6.0% | +14.3% |
| 1979 | 6.0% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 3.9% | -35.2% |
| 1981 | 3.4% | -12.3% |
| 1982 | 4.0% | +16.4% |
| 1983 | 3.6% | -9.6% |
| 1984 | 3.5% | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 3.5% | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | -8.6% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -6.9% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 2.7% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 2.6% | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | -6.9% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | -5.8% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 2.1% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 2.1% | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 1.9% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -14.8% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 1.4% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 1.4% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | +6.5% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | -1.4% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 1.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%, 3.5× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 1.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 71% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Botswana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +207.0% | 0.6% | 1.7% |
| 1972 | +110.4% | 1.7% | 3.6% |
| 1966 | -62.3% | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| 1965 | -38.1% | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| 1980 | -35.2% | 6.0% | 3.9% |
| 1973 | +31.3% | 3.6% | 4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.4% | 0.5% | 2.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.3% | 0.6% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.4% | 2.8% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More climate change data for Botswana
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 17.55 million kg (2023)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,640 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,795 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,846 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 137.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 17.36 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 14.07 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0531 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Botswana?
- Population growth in Botswana was 1.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 6.0% in 1978.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1968.
- How does Botswana rank for population growth?
- Botswana ranks 66th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.