Botswana: Primary education, pupils

Key figures

Since 1970 it is up 359.84% from 83,002 in 1970 (2.98% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 7 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2022, Botswana's primary education, pupils rose 4.5% on 2021 (from 365,288 to 381,674).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2021), the average change was +2% and a typical year strayed about 2.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 17% in 1973 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.5% in 1971. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Botswana in the 2022 ranking

• Liberia — 4th of 8: 569,741
• Ireland — 5th of 8: 548,873
• Eritrea — 6th of 8: 398,090
• Cabo Verde — 8th of 8: 61,167

What this measures

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 46 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Angola — 5.38 million (2023)
• Benin — 2.4 million (2022)
• Burkina Faso — 3.07 million (2024)
• Burundi — 2.52 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 61,167 (2022)
• Cameroon — 5.29 million (2024)
• Central African Republic — 813,767 (2016)
• Chad — 3.05 million (2024)
• Comoros — 102,152 (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 21.15 million (2023)
• Congo, Rep. — 880,625 (2023)

More education data for Botswana

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 21.41% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.98 (2021)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 109.27% (2022)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 108.22% (2022)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 110.31% (2022)
• Primary education, teachers

Reading data like this

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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Botswana's primary education, pupils?

381,674 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 359.84% from 83,002 in 1970 (2.98% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 381,674 in 2022 and the lowest 78,442 in 1971.

Is the latest change in primary education, pupils unusual for Botswana?

In 2022, Botswana's primary education, pupils rose 4.5% on 2021 (from 365,288 to 381,674). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2021), the average change was +2% and a typical year strayed about 2.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.ENRL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. 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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