Birth rate in Botswana
Botswana: Birth rate was 24.71 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
24.71 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
56th
of 236 countries
All-time high
47.87 births per 1,000 people
in 1957
All-time low
24.71 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Botswana, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate in Botswana stood at 24.71 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Botswana peaked at 47.87 births per 1,000 people in 1957 and was at its lowest, 24.71 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Botswana 56th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Botswana, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 45.46 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 45.69 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1952 | 45.92 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1953 | 46.38 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1954 | 46.83 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1955 | 47.26 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1956 | 47.62 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1957 | 47.87 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 47.8 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1959 | 47.58 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1960 | 47.14 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1961 | 46.59 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1962 | 46.03 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 45.93 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 45.77 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 45.76 births per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1966 | 45.63 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 45.52 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 45.49 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 45.51 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 45.71 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 45.48 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 45.53 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 45.7 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 46.11 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 46.2 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 46.23 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 45.8 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 45.06 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 44.71 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 44.65 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 43.45 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 42.33 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 41.15 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 40.19 births per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 39.37 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 38.52 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 37.15 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 35.8 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 34.51 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 33.62 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 32.83 births per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 32.35 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 31.91 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 31.27 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 29.89 births per 1,000 people | -4.4% |
| 1996 | 28.61 births per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1997 | 27.91 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 27.75 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 27.73 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 27.94 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 27.91 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 27.65 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 27.39 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 27.31 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 27.71 births per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 28.14 births per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 28.34 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 28.4 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 28.4 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 28.36 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 28.04 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 27.74 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 27.18 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 26.8 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 26.48 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 26.25 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 26.07 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 25.9 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 25.75 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 25.53 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 25.42 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 25.25 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 24.71 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 24.71 births per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.97 births per 1,000 people, 1.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 24.71 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.17 births per 1,000 people, 79% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 46.84 births per 1,000 people | 45.46 births per 1,000 people | 47.87 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 45.94 births per 1,000 people | 45.49 births per 1,000 people | 47.14 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 45.65 births per 1,000 people | 44.71 births per 1,000 people | 46.23 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.71 births per 1,000 people | 34.51 births per 1,000 people | 44.65 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 30.39 births per 1,000 people | 27.73 births per 1,000 people | 33.62 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.92 births per 1,000 people | 27.31 births per 1,000 people | 28.4 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.86 births per 1,000 people | 25.75 births per 1,000 people | 28.36 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.23 births per 1,000 people | 24.71 births per 1,000 people | 25.53 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 53 Nauru 25.5 births per 1,000 people compare
- 54 French Guiana 25.4 births per 1,000 people compare
- 54 Samoa 25.4 births per 1,000 people compare
- 57 Papua New Guinea 24.58 births per 1,000 people compare
- 58 Lesotho 24.11 births per 1,000 people compare
- 59 Eswatini 24.07 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Botswana
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1457 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.7791 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1457 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0624 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 3,679 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.39 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6864 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 6.77 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 208,485 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Botswana?
- Birth rate in Botswana was 24.71 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 47.87 births per 1,000 people in 1957.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.71 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Botswana rank for birth rate?
- Botswana ranks 56th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.