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Population Review

Rank #26 by World Population

🇧🇼Botswana

Botswana has a population of 2,480,244, ranking #26 in the world. The capital is Gaborone. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .

World Bank: Upper middle income

2,480,244

Population

#26

World Rank

69.2

Life Expectancy

$7,826

GDP Per Capita

Botswana, #26 by world population

Botswana Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Botswana had a population of 516,165 in 1960 and 2,521,139 in 2024, a 4.9× growth over 64 years. The peak was 2,521,139 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.52%.

2024 · 2.5M19602024

2,521,139

Population (2024)

516,165

Population (1960)

2,521,139

Peak (2024)

2.52%

Avg Annual Growth

YearPopulation
1960516,165
1961527,942
1962540,186
1963552,966
1964566,266
1965574,664
1966577,866
1967580,933
1968583,966
1969587,066
1970590,334
1971600,481
1972622,407
1973652,408
1974685,448
1975720,380
1976758,508
1977799,574
1978849,239
1979901,742
1980937,485
1981969,996
19821,009,269
19831,046,137
19841,083,660
19851,121,945
19861,160,650
19871,199,167
19881,235,476
19891,270,274
19901,305,696
19911,341,756
19921,380,033
19931,420,115
19941,460,023
19951,498,836
19961,535,914
19971,571,691
19981,606,899
19991,641,997
20001,677,382
20011,712,254
20021,744,763
20031,775,736
20041,807,146
20051,839,877
20061,874,516
20071,911,201
20081,949,970
20091,990,673
20102,033,111
20112,073,535
20122,108,617
20132,140,682
20142,172,044
20152,203,273
20162,234,776
20172,266,747
20182,299,141
20192,332,083
20202,365,894
20212,401,441
20222,439,892
20232,480,244
20242,521,139

Demographics

Population2,480,244
Population Growth Rate1.64%
Urban Population67.0%
Fertility Rate2.73 births/woman
Life Expectancy69.2 years
Infant Mortality Rate33.3 per 1,000
Literacy Rate-

Economy & Trade

$7,826

GDP Per Capita

23.4%

Unemployment Rate

Upper middle income

Income Level

68.8%

Trade (% of GDP)

Health & Education

6.3%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.38

Physicians per 1,000

33.3

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

76.0%

Electricity Access

57.9%

Internet Users

173

Mobile Subs per 100

4.4

People per km2

-6,487

Net Migration

Environment

26.3%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

AngolaBeninBurkina FasoBurundiCabo Verde

Compare Botswana

vs Afghanistanvs Albaniavs Algeriavs American Samoa

Botswana in global context

Botswana is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)Cabo Verde (522,331)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the WorldCountries With Highest GDP Per CapitaCountries With Highest Life ExpectancyCountries With Highest Fertility RatesCountries With Highest Literacy RatesUrbanized Countries in the WorldFastest Growing Countries by PopulationCountries With Highest Infant MortalityCountries With Highest Income InequalityCountries With Most International TourismAll rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Botswana has a population of 2,480,244, ranking #26 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.64%.

Life expectancy in Botswana is 69.2 years. The infant mortality rate is 33.3 per 1,000 live births.

Botswana's GDP per capita is $7,826. It is classified as a upper middle income country by the World Bank.

67.0% of Botswana's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 4.4 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Botswana is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.

The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.

Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.