Share of population living in rural areas in Botswana

Botswana: Share of population living in rural areas was 30.8 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
30.8
World rank
84th
of 229 countries
All-time high
53.57
in 1950
All-time low
30.29
in 2015
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Botswana, 1950–2020

02040601950198520201950: 53.61955: 521960: 50.71965: 49.11970: 49.71975: 46.91980: 41.51985: 37.61990: 36.21995: 342000: 32.22005: 31.92010: 30.72015: 30.32020: 30.8

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Botswana is 30.8, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of up 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Botswana peaked at 53.57 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 30.29, in 2015.

That places Botswana 84th out of 229 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in rural areas in Botswana, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Botswana, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 53.57
1955 52.02 -2.9%
1960 50.68 -2.6%
1965 49.13 -3.1%
1970 49.7 +1.2%
1975 46.86 -5.7%
1980 41.54 -11.3%
1985 37.64 -9.4%
1990 36.16 -3.9%
1995 33.98 -6.0%
2000 32.23 -5.2%
2005 31.93 -0.9%
2010 30.73 -3.8%
2015 30.29 -1.4%
2020 30.8 +1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 52.79 52.02 53.57 2
1960s 49.91 49.13 50.68 2
1970s 48.28 46.86 49.7 2
1980s 39.59 37.64 41.54 2
1990s 35.07 33.98 36.16 2
2000s 32.08 31.93 32.23 2
2010s 30.51 30.29 30.73 2
2020s 30.8 30.8 30.8 1

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 81 Luxembourg 31.28 compare
  2. 82 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 31.18 compare
  3. 83 Sweden 31.17 compare
  4. 85 Myanmar 30.64 compare
  5. 86 Uganda 30.42 compare
  6. 87 Senegal 30.14 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Botswana?
Share of population living in rural areas in Botswana was 30.8 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 53.57 in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 30.29 in 2015.
How does Botswana rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Botswana ranks 84th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in rural areas in Botswana. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/botswana/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed