Total population in Botswana
Botswana: Total population was 2,542 thousands in 2025. β² Rising
Total population in Botswana, 1970β2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 2,542 thousands for total population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Botswana peaked at 2,542 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 588.64 thousands, in 1970.
Botswana ranks 143rd of 230 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 701.19 thousands | 588.64 thousands | 877.54 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,085 thousands | 925.94 thousands | 1,253 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,458 thousands | 1,288 thousands | 1,624 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,811 thousands | 1,660 thousands | 1,970 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,170 thousands | 2,011 thousands | 2,315 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,442 thousands | 2,349 thousands | 2,542 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More population data for Botswana
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.16 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 208,485 (2100)
- Population density 6.77 (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.16 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 2.7 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 816 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 2.7 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 2.7 (2024)
- Natural population growth 1.9 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 2.73 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total population in Botswana?
- Total population in Botswana was 2,542 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 2,542 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 588.64 thousands in 1970.
- How does Botswana rank for total population?
- Botswana ranks 143rd out of 230 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release