Botswana vs South Africa: Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol
Botswana
56.3%
in 2020
South Africa
57.9%
in 2020
Botswana rank
63rd
South Africa rank
60th
Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 57.9% against 56.3% in Botswana, a difference of 1.6%.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 21 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Botswana ahead.
Botswana ranks 63rd and South Africa ranks 60th of 187 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 59.5% | 57.6% | 1.8% | Botswana |
| 2010s | 56.2% | 55.5% | 0.8% | Botswana |
| 2020s | 56.3% | 57.9% | 1.7% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population who haver never drunk alcohol, Botswana or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 57.9% against 56.3% in Botswana as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population who haver never drunk alcohol between Botswana and South Africa?
- 1.6%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for share of population who haver never drunk alcohol?
- Botswana ranks 63rd and South Africa ranks 60th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Lifetime abstinence is defined as the proportion of adults (15+ years) in a given population who have not consumed any alcohol during their lifetime.