Botswana

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 259,525 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned; privately owned satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned national radio stations; 4 privately owned radio stations broadcast locally (2019)

Internet country code

.bw

Internet users

total: 1.924 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 74% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: effective regulatory reform has made Botswana s telecom market one of the most liberalized in the region; there is a service-neutral licensing regime adapted to the convergence of technologies and services, and several operators now compete in all telecom sectors; Botswana has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa; in a bid to generate new revenue streams and secure market share, the three mobile network operators have entered the underdeveloped broadband sector by adopting of 3G, LTE, and WiMAX technologies; in the fixed-line broadband market they compete with a large number of ISPs, some of which have rolled out their own wireless access infrastructure; the landlocked country depends on satellites for international bandwidth, and on other countries for transit capacity to the landing points of international submarine cables; the landing of additional cables in the region in recent years has improved the competitive situation in this sector, while prices for connectivity have fallen dramatically (2022) domestic: fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 5 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 161 telephones per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 92,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 4.348 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 165 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, root vegetables, vegetables, maize, sorghum, beef, game meat, watermelons, cabbages, goat milk (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $5.989 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $5.099 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Credit ratings

Moody's rating: A2 (2020) Standard & Poors rating: BBB+ (2020) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

$606.394 million (2022 est.) -$250.118 million (2021 est.) -$1.531 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$1.507 billion (2022 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

good economic governance and financial management; diamond-driven growth model declining; rapid poverty reductions; high unemployment, particularly among youth; COVID-19 sharply contracted the economy and recovery is slow; public sector wages have posed fiscal challenges

Exchange rates

pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 13.596 (2023 est.) 12.369 (2022 est.) 11.087 (2021 est.) 11.456 (2020 est.) 10.756 (2019 est.)

Exports

$8.9 billion (2022 est.) $7.928 billion (2021 est.) $4.703 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

diamonds, copper ore, insulated wire, coal, cattle (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

UAE 27%, Belgium 18%, India 15%, South Africa 10%, Hong Kong 6% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$19.396 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 42.9% (2023 est.) government consumption: 28.9% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 25.7% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 4.7% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 31.7% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -35.7% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.6% (2023 est.) industry: 34.3% (2023 est.) services: 59.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

53.3 (2015 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.5% (2015 est.) highest 10%: 41.5% (2015 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$8.7 billion (2022 est.) $9.252 billion (2021 est.) $7.554 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

diamonds, refined petroleum, trucks, raw sugar, plastic products (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

South Africa 61%, Namibia 9%, Belgium 5%, India 4%, Canada 4% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

2.25% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; beef processing; textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.07% (2023 est.) 11.67% (2022 est.) 7.24% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

1.17 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

16.1% (2015 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

19.62% of GDP (2020 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$46.742 billion (2023 est.) $45.499 billion (2022 est.) $43.133 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.73% (2023 est.) 5.49% (2022 est.) 11.92% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$17,500 (2023 est.) $17,300 (2022 est.) $16,700 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0.31% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.34% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.32% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$4.756 billion (2023 est.) $4.279 billion (2022 est.) $4.802 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

19.65% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

23.38% (2023 est.) 23.62% (2022 est.) 23.11% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 45.4% (2023 est.) male: 40.5% (2023 est.) female: 51.5% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Carbon dioxide emissions

8.145 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 5.171 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 2.974 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

production: 2.634 million metric tons (2022 est.) consumption: 2.291 million metric tons (2022 est.) exports: 539,000 metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 1,000 metric tons (2022 est.) proven reserves: 1.66 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 738,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 3.697 billion kWh (2022 est.) exports: 2 million kWh (2022 est.) imports: 1.662 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 591.813 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 75.9% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 95.5% electrification - rural areas: 25%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 99.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

39.265 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 21,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 12.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 6.34 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 5.73 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Environment - current issues

overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 45.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 45.2% (2018 est.) forest: 19.8% (2018 est.) other: 34.4% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km) Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0.45% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.23% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

12.24 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 110 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 72.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 210,854 tons (2010 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,109 tons (2005 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 1% (2005 est.)

Area

total : 581,730 sq km land: 566,730 sq km water: 15,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois

Climate

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point: Manyelanong Hill 1,495 m lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m mean elevation: 1,013 m

Geographic coordinates

22 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; sparsely populated with most settlement concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country; geography dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers about 70% of the country, although the Okavango Delta brings considerable biodiversity as one of the largest inland deltas in the World

Irrigated land

25 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

total: 4,347.15 km border countries (4): Namibia 1,544 km; South Africa 1,969 km; Zambia 0.15 km; Zimbabwe 834 km

Land use

agricultural land: 45.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 45.2% (2018 est.) forest: 19.8% (2018 est.) other: 34.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Major aquifers

Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km) Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

Natural resources

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver

Population distribution

the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Administrative divisions

10 districts and 6 town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Phikwe*, South East, Southern, Sowa Town*

Capital

name: Gaborone geographic coordinates: 24 38 S, 25 54 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named after GABORONE (ca. 1825-1931), a revered kgosi (chief) of the Tlokwa tribe, part of the larger Tswana ethnic group

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Botswana dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Constitution

history: previous 1960 (pre-independence); latest adopted March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval in two successive Assembly votes with at least two-thirds majority in the final vote; proposals to amend constitutional provisions on fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and branches of government, and public services also requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and assent by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2021

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana local long form: Republic of Botswana local short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland etymology: the name Botswana means "Land of the Tswana" - referring to the country's largest ethnic group

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Howard A. VAN VRANKEN (since 24 May 2023) embassy: Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone mailing address: 2170 Gaborone Place, Washington DC 20521-2170 telephone: [267] 395-3982 FAX: [267] 318-0232 email address and website: ConsularGaborone@state.gov https://bw.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mpho Churchill MOPHUTING (since 18 September 2024) chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164 email address and website: info@botswanaembassy.org http://www.botswanaembassy.org/

Executive branch

chief of state: President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024) head of government: President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 October 2024 (next to be held in October 2029); vice president appointed by the president election results: National elections held in 2024 gave BOKO's UDC 35 seats in the National Assembly, which then selected BOKO as President

Flag description

light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center; the blue symbolizes water in the form of rain, while the black and white bands represent racial harmony

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

30 September 1966 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal, High Court (each consists of a chief justice and a number of other judges as prescribed by the Parliament) judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president and other judges appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; all judges appointed to serve until age 70 subordinate courts: Industrial Court (with circuits scheduled monthly in the capital city and in 3 districts); Magistrates Courts (1 in each district); Customary Court of Appeal; Paramount Chief's Court/Urban Customary Court; Senior Chief's Representative Court; Chief's Representative’s Court; Headman's Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (65 seats; 58 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 nominated by the president and indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the rest of the National Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the president and vice president of Botswana; elected members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 23 October 2019 (next to be held by October 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 52.7%, UDC 35.9%, BPF 4.4%, AP 5.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - BDP 38, UDC 15, BPF 3, AP 1; composition- men 56, women 7, percentage women 11.1% note: the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory body to the National Assembly, consists of 35 members -- 8 hereditary chiefs from Botswana's principal tribes, 22 indirectly elected by the chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president; the House of Chiefs consults on issues including powers of chiefs, customary courts, customary law, tribal property, and constitutional amendments

National anthem

name: "Fatshe leno la rona" (Our Land) lyrics/music: Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE note: adopted 1966

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Tsodilo Hills (c); Okavango Delta (n)

National holiday

Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

National symbol(s)

zebra; national colors: light blue, white, black

Political parties

Alliance of Progressives or AP Botswana Congress Party or BCP Botswana Democratic Party or BDP Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO]Botswana Patriotic Front or BPF Botswana Peoples Party or BPP Botswana Republic Party or BRP Umbrella for Democratic Change or UDC (various times the coalition has included the BPP, BCP, BNF and other parties)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

In the early 1800s, multiple political entities in what is now Botswana were destabilized or destroyed by a series of conflicts and population movements in southern Africa. By the end of this period, the Tswana ethnic group, who also live across the border in South Africa, had become the most prominent group in the area. In 1852, Tswana forces halted the expansion of white Afrikaner settlers who were seeking to expand their territory northwards into what is now Botswana. In 1885, Great Britain claimed territory that roughly corresponds with modern day Botswana as a protectorate called Bechuanaland. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana, which means "land of the Tswana." More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created an enduring democracy and upper-middle-income economy. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has won every national election since independence; President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI assumed the presidency in 2018 after the retirement of former President Ian KHAMA due to constitutional term limits. MASISI won his first election as president in 2019, and he is Botswana s fifth president since independence. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Military - note

the BDF s key functions include defending the country's territorial integrity on land and in the air, ensuring national security and stability, and aiding civil authorities in support of domestic missions such as disaster relief and anti-poaching; it participates in regional and international security operations Bechuanaland/Botswana did not have a permanent military during colonial times, with the British colonial administrators relying instead on small, lightly armed constabularies such as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and by the early 1960s, the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); after independence in 1966, Botswana militarized the PMU and gave it responsibility for the country s defense rather than create a conventional military force; however, turmoil in neighboring countries and numerous cross-border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces in the 1960s and 1970s demonstrated that the PMU was inadequate for defending the country and led to the establishment of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) in 1977 (2024)

Military and security forces

Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2024) note 1: both the BDF and the Botswana Police Service report to the Ministry of Defense and Security; the Botswana Police Service has primary responsibility for internal security; the BDF reports to the Office of the President through the minister of defense and security and has some domestic security responsibilities note 2: the Ground Force Command includes a marine unit with boats and river craft for patrolling Botswana's internal waterways and supporting anti-poaching operations

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 10,000 active BDF personnel (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the BDF has a mix of mostly older weapons and equipment, largely of Western/European origin; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of material from several European countries and the US (2024)

Military expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 3% of GDP (2021 est.) 3% of GDP (2020 est.) 2.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2024)

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.7% (male 355,583/female 348,863) 15-64 years: 65.2% (male 759,210/female 837,752) 65 years and over: 6.1% (2024 est.) (male 59,513/female 89,747)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 5.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

19.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

67.4% (2017)

Current health expenditure

6.2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

45% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Botswana has experienced one of the most rapid declines in fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. The total fertility rate fell from more than 5 children per woman in the mid 1980s to approximately 2.4 in 2013, and remains at that level in 2022. The fertility reduction has been attributed to a host of factors, including higher educational attainment among women, greater participation of women in the workforce, increased contraceptive use, later first births, and a strong national family planning program. Botswana was making significant progress in several health indicators, including life expectancy and infant and child mortality rates, until being devastated by the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 1990s. In 2021, Botswana had one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world at close to 20%, however comprehensive and effective treatment programs have reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths. The combination of declining fertility and increasing mortality rates because of HIV/AIDS is slowing the population aging process, with a narrowing of the youngest age groups and little expansion of the oldest age groups. Nevertheless, having the bulk of its population (about 60% as of 2022) of working age will only yield economic benefits if the labor force is healthy, educated, and productively employed. Batswana have been working as contract miners in South Africa since the 19th century. Although Botswana s economy improved shortly after independence in 1966 with the discovery of diamonds and other minerals, its lingering high poverty rate and lack of job opportunities continued to push workers to seek mining work in southern African countries. In the early 1970s, about a third of Botswana s male labor force worked in South Africa (lesser numbers went to Namibia and Zimbabwe). Not until the 1980s and 1990s, when South African mining companies had reduced their recruitment of foreign workers and Botswana s economic prospects had improved, were Batswana increasingly able to find job opportunities at home. Most Batswana prefer life in their home country and choose cross-border migration on a temporary basis only for work, shopping, visiting family, or tourism. Since the 1970s, Botswana has pursued an open migration policy enabling it to recruit thousands of foreign workers to fill skilled labor shortages. In the late 1990s, Botswana s prosperity and political stability attracted not only skilled workers but small numbers of refugees from neighboring Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 57.5 youth dependency ratio: 51.8 elderly dependency ratio: 5.7 potential support ratio: 13.8 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.1% of population rural: 96.9% of population total: 99.4% of population unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population rural: 3.1% of population total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

8.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%

Gross reproduction rate

1.15 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.8 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

total: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 25.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 66.4 years (2024 est.) male: 64.4 years female: 68.6 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.5% male: 88% female: 88.9% (2015)

Major urban areas - population

269,000 GABORONE (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

186 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 27.1 years (2024 est.) male: 26 years female: 28.3 years

Nationality

noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Net migration rate

2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.9% (2016)

Physician density

0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

total: 2,450,668 male: 1,174,306 female: 1,276,362 (2024 est.)

Population distribution

the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.34% (2024 est.)

Religions

Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 94.9% of population rural: 63% of population total: 85.6% of population unimproved: urban: 5.1% of population rural: 37% of population total: 14.4% of population (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2021)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 19.4% (2020 est.) male: 30.4% (2020 est.) female: 8.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.34 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 72.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Airports

122 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

A2

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 253,417 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 110,000 (2018) mt-km

Railways

total: 888 km (2014) narrow gauge: 888 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

Roadways

total: 31,747 km paved: 9,810 km unpaved: 21,937 km (2017)