Botswana's population growth (annual %) was 1.61% in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 0.18 percentage points from 1.43% in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 1.61% | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 1.44% | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 1.43% | 2015 |
| Highest | 6.03% | 1978 |
| Lowest | 0.52% | 1968 |
| Average since 2016 | 1.51% | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 2.26% | 1961 |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Botswana's population growth (annual %) fell 0.02 percentage points on 2024 (from 1.64% to 1.61%).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.1 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.88 percentage points in 1972 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.11 percentage points in 1980. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.03 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 84% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Botswana had the 66th highest value of the 217 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Botswana | 1.61% | 2025 |
| World | 0.91% | 2025 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 2.43% | 2025 |
| Upper middle income | 0.34% | 2025 |
Closest to Botswana in the 2025 ranking
- Honduras — 63rd of 217: 1.65%
- Turkmenistan — 64th of 217: 1.65%
- Ireland — 65th of 217: 1.63%
- Pakistan — 67th of 217: 1.56%
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 68th of 217: 1.56%
- Australia — 69th of 217: 1.53%
What this measures
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 65 values
| Year | Population growth (annual %) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.61 |
| 2024 | 1.64 |
| 2023 | 1.64 |
| 2022 | 1.59 |
| 2021 | 1.49 |
| 2020 | 1.44 |
| 2019 | 1.42 |
| 2018 | 1.42 |
| 2017 | 1.42 |
| 2016 | 1.42 |
| 2015 |
Population growth (annual %) in nearby economies
- Angola — 3% (2025)
- Benin — 2.4% (2025)
- Burkina Faso — 2.21% (2025)
- Burundi — 2.41% (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 0.47% (2025)
- Cameroon — 2.56% (2025)
- Central African Republic — 3.37% (2025)
- Chad — 3.41% (2025)
- Comoros — 1.85% (2025)
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — 3.2% (2025)
- Congo, Rep. — 2.36% (2025)
More health data for Botswana
- Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 11.53% (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 11.86% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female — 406,270 (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 31.6% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male — 412,499 (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 32.32% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total — 818,769 (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 31.96% (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 10.46% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Botswana's population growth (annual %)?
- 1.61% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1961?
- It is down 0.64 percentage points from 2.26% in 1961. The highest value was 6.03% in 1978 and the lowest 0.52% in 1968.
- How does Botswana rank?
- 66th highest of 217 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in population growth (annual %) unusual for Botswana?
- In 2025, Botswana's population growth (annual %) fell 0.02 percentage points on 2024 (from 1.64% to 1.61%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.1 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SP.POP.GROW, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division; Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), note: Derived from total population; Demographic Statistics, Eurosta… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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