Urban population in Botswana
Botswana: Urban population was 68.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population in Botswana, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Botswana stood at 68.0%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Botswana peaked at 68.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1960.
That places Botswana 98th 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.
Urban population in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.0% | — |
| 1961 | 3.1% | +2.2% |
| 1962 | 3.1% | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 3.2% | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 3.4% | +4.8% |
| 1965 | 3.8% | +13.6% |
| 1966 | 4.6% | +20.8% |
| 1967 | 5.6% | +21.9% |
| 1968 | 6.8% | +20.1% |
| 1969 | 7.9% | +17.0% |
| 1970 | 9.0% | +13.5% |
| 1971 | 9.9% | +9.8% |
| 1972 | 10.6% | +6.9% |
| 1973 | 11.1% | +5.4% |
| 1974 | 11.7% | +4.5% |
| 1975 | 12.1% | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 12.6% | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 13.1% | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 13.6% | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 14.2% | +4.6% |
| 1980 | 14.9% | +5.2% |
| 1981 | 15.8% | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 17.2% | +9.0% |
| 1983 | 19.6% | +13.5% |
| 1984 | 22.6% | +15.6% |
| 1985 | 26.2% | +15.7% |
| 1986 | 30.0% | +14.6% |
| 1987 | 33.9% | +12.9% |
| 1988 | 37.6% | +11.0% |
| 1989 | 40.9% | +8.9% |
| 1990 | 43.6% | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 45.5% | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 46.8% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 47.9% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 48.8% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 49.6% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 50.4% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 51.1% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 51.7% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 52.4% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 53.2% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 54.0% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 55.0% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 56.1% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 57.3% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 58.5% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 59.6% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 60.8% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 61.8% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 62.8% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 63.5% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 64.0% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 64.4% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 64.8% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 65.1% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 65.4% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 65.7% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 65.9% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 66.2% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 66.3% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 66.4% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 66.5% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 66.6% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 67.0% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 67.5% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 68.0% | +0.7% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 68.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.4%, 1.0× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 68.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.5% | 3.0% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.8% | 9.0% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.9% | 14.9% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 48.8% | 43.6% | 52.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.9% | 53.2% | 62.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.1% | 63.5% | 66.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.0% | 66.4% | 68.0% | 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 urban population in Botswana?
- Urban population in Botswana was 68.0% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 68.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1960.
- How does Botswana rank for urban population?
- Botswana ranks 98th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.