Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Botswana
Botswana: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 2.93 people per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
2.93 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
209th
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.93 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
0.0286 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Botswana, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Botswana stood at 2.93 people per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and up 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Botswana peaked at 2.93 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0286 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Botswana 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Botswana, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0286 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.0299 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1963 | 0.0314 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1964 | 0.0337 people per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 1965 | 0.0389 people per square kilometre | +15.3% |
| 1966 | 0.0472 people per square kilometre | +21.5% |
| 1967 | 0.0579 people per square kilometre | +22.6% |
| 1968 | 0.0698 people per square kilometre | +20.7% |
| 1969 | 0.0821 people per square kilometre | +17.6% |
| 1970 | 0.0938 people per square kilometre | +14.1% |
| 1971 | 0.1047 people per square kilometre | +11.7% |
| 1972 | 0.1161 people per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1973 | 0.1283 people per square kilometre | +10.5% |
| 1974 | 0.1409 people per square kilometre | +9.8% |
| 1975 | 0.154 people per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 1976 | 0.1683 people per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 1977 | 0.1841 people per square kilometre | +9.4% |
| 1978 | 0.2035 people per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1979 | 0.226 people per square kilometre | +11.0% |
| 1980 | 0.2471 people per square kilometre | +9.4% |
| 1981 | 0.2707 people per square kilometre | +9.5% |
| 1982 | 0.3069 people per square kilometre | +13.4% |
| 1983 | 0.3612 people per square kilometre | +17.7% |
| 1984 | 0.4325 people per square kilometre | +19.7% |
| 1985 | 0.518 people per square kilometre | +19.8% |
| 1986 | 0.6141 people per square kilometre | +18.6% |
| 1987 | 0.7166 people per square kilometre | +16.7% |
| 1988 | 0.8193 people per square kilometre | +14.3% |
| 1989 | 0.9171 people per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 1990 | 1.01 people per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 1991 | 1.08 people per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1992 | 1.14 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 1.2 people per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 1.26 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 1.31 people per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 1.36 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 1.42 people per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 1.47 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 1.52 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 1.57 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 1.63 people per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 1.69 people per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 1.76 people per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 1.83 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 1.9 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 1.97 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 2.05 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 2.13 people per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 2.2 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 2.28 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 2.34 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 2.4 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 2.45 people per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 2.49 people per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 2.54 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 2.59 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 2.64 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 2.68 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 2.73 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 2.77 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 2.82 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 2.87 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 2.93 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 2.93 people per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 48.45 people per square kilometre, 6% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 2.93 people per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.41 people per square kilometre, 10% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0466 people per square kilometre | 0.0286 people per square kilometre | 0.0821 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.152 people per square kilometre | 0.0938 people per square kilometre | 0.226 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5203 people per square kilometre | 0.2471 people per square kilometre | 0.9171 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.28 people per square kilometre | 1.01 people per square kilometre | 1.52 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.87 people per square kilometre | 1.57 people per square kilometre | 2.2 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.51 people per square kilometre | 2.28 people per square kilometre | 2.73 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.85 people per square kilometre | 2.77 people per square kilometre | 2.93 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 206 Central African Republic 3.61 people per square kilometre compare
- 207 Papua New Guinea 3.45 people per square kilometre compare
- 208 Australia 3.01 people per square kilometre compare
- 210 Mauritania 2.91 people per square kilometre compare
- 211 Suriname 2.58 people per square kilometre compare
- 212 Namibia 1.8 people per square kilometre 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 number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Botswana?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Botswana was 2.93 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 2.93 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0286 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Botswana rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Botswana ranks 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.