World Factbook
Botswana
Republic of Botswana
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Languages
Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.)
Religions
Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.91 male(s)/female
total population
0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.66 male(s)/female
Birth rate
21.16 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
26 years
total
25.8 years (2025 est.)
female
28.3 years
Population
male
1,234,898
total
2,521,534 (2025 est.)
female
1,286,636
Nationality
noun
Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective
Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Tobacco use
male
29.2% (2025 est.)
total
17.1% (2025 est.)
female
5.5% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
72.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
28.7% (male 355,583/female 348,863)
15-64 years
65.2% (male 759,210/female 837,752)
65 years and over
6.1% (2024 est.) (male 59,513/female 89,747)
Ethnic groups
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
60.9 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
52.1 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
11.4 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
8.8 (2025 est.)
Physician density
0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
6.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
14.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density
2.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: rural
rural: 79.6% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 92.6% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 97.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 20.4% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 7.4% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 2.5% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
8.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
21.5% national budget (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
25.9 deaths/1,000 live births
total
27.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
21.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
1.32% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.34 (2025 est.)
Population distribution
the population is primarily concentrated in the east, with a focus in and around the capital of Gaborone and the eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari Desert to the west.
Life expectancy at birth
male
64.4 years
female
68.6 years
total population
66.4 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
155 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: rural
rural: 63% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 86% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 94.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 37% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 14% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 5.1% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer
2.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
5.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
0.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
269,000 GABORONE (capital) (2018)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
18.9% (2016)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
41.5% (2017 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male
12 years (2021 est.)
total
12 years (2021 est.)
female
13 years (2021 est.)