Life expectancy by sex in Botswana
Botswana: Life expectancy by sex was 71.7 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
71.7 years
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
175th
of 236 countries
All-time high
71.7 years
in 2023
All-time low
48.02 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy by sex in Botswana, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy by sex in Botswana is 71.7 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy by sex in Botswana peaked at 71.7 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 48.02 years, in 1950.
Botswana ranks 175th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy by sex in Botswana, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 48.02 years | — |
| 1951 | 48.45 years | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 48.88 years | +0.9% |
| 1953 | 49.33 years | +0.9% |
| 1954 | 49.79 years | +0.9% |
| 1955 | 50.28 years | +1.0% |
| 1956 | 50.8 years | +1.0% |
| 1957 | 51.36 years | +1.1% |
| 1958 | 51.94 years | +1.1% |
| 1959 | 52.53 years | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 53.12 years | +1.1% |
| 1961 | 53.72 years | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 54.23 years | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 54.81 years | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 55.37 years | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 55.91 years | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 56.49 years | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 57.02 years | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 57.55 years | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 58.09 years | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 58.62 years | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 59.25 years | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 59.86 years | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 60.51 years | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 61.18 years | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 61.81 years | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 62.55 years | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 63.26 years | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 63.95 years | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 64.54 years | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 65.12 years | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 65.65 years | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 66.08 years | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 66.42 years | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 66.62 years | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 66.71 years | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 66.51 years | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 66.15 years | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 65.1 years | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 64.74 years | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 63.73 years | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 62.5 years | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 61.26 years | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 59.98 years | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 58.72 years | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 57.66 years | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 56.66 years | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 55.73 years | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 54.95 years | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 54.35 years | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 54.02 years | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 53.96 years | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 54.17 years | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 54.66 years | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 55.38 years | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 56.28 years | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 56.71 years | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 58.39 years | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 59.38 years | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 60.48 years | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 61.49 years | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 61.9 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 62.42 years | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 63.18 years | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 64.09 years | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 65.18 years | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 66.39 years | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 67.61 years | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 68.7 years | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 69.59 years | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 70.36 years | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 65.51 years | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 71.25 years | +8.8% |
| 2023 | 71.7 years | +0.6% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 71.7 years is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 77.75 years, 92% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 71.7 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 66.75 years, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 50.14 years | 48.02 years | 52.53 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 55.63 years | 53.12 years | 58.09 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 61.55 years | 58.62 years | 64.54 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 65.91 years | 64.74 years | 66.71 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 58.56 years | 54.35 years | 63.73 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.34 years | 53.96 years | 60.48 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.05 years | 61.49 years | 69.59 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.7 years | 65.51 years | 71.7 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More population data for Botswana
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0624 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1457 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 208,485 people (2100)
- Population density 6.77 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6864 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.39 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy by sex in Botswana?
- Life expectancy by sex in Botswana was 71.7 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy by sex recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 71.7 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy by sex recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.02 years in 1950.
- How does Botswana rank for life expectancy by sex?
- Botswana ranks 175th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy by sex rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth among females, in a given year.