Botswana Flag

Botswana

Capital:
Gaborone
Continent:
Africa
Largest Cities:
Gaborone
Abbreviation:
BWA

Botswana is a country in Africa, known for the Okavango Delta and Kalahari Desert. It has a population of 2.6 million, making it the 146th largest country in the world. Its official language is Portuguese, and the capital is Gaborone. Botswana has a diamond-driven economy with growing tourism sector.

2.6M
Total Population
146
Population Rank
4.52
Density (km²)
41K 1.61%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Botswana

Botswana's population structure shows a nearly equal male to female ratio of 0.99 to 1, with a median male age of 23.94 years old and a median female age of 24.39 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 29 and 30 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Botswana Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Botswana Population Clock

Botswana Population*
2,546,036
Births per Day
168
Deaths per Day
40
Emigrations per Day
16
Net Change per Day
112
2025 Population Change*
4,144

* As of 2/6/2025

1 birth

Every 8.6 minutes

1 death

Every 36.0 minutes

1 emigrant

Every 1.5 hours

1 person

Every 12.9 minutes

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Gaborone208,411

Botswana Overview

The Republic of Botswana is an African country located toward the southern tip of Africa. More than 70% of this flat country is made up of the Kalahari Desert. It’s bordered by Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa and shares very short borders with Zambia and Kazungula.

Capital and Urbanization Rate

Gaborone is the largest city in Botswana, and also the capital. The population in Gaborone is approximately 232,000. More than 10% of the population lives in the capital. The majority of the population in Botswana lives within 100 kilometers of Gaborone. In Botswana, 61% of the population has urbanized, and the current urbanization rate is 2.3%.

Botswana Demographics

The religious affiliations in Botswana are primarily spread across 3 different groups. Roman Catholic Diocese has a strong influence, particularly in the lower half of the country. In Gaborone there is a significant Hindu following, and a Hindu temple of worship is available in the capital city. Those of the Muslim faith also have access to several mosques serving the communities around Botswana.

79% of the population is indigenous Botswana and are known as Tswana. Major minority ethnic groups include the Kalanga and the San. There are about 10,000 San who still live the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Botswana’s government has been criticized for attempting to remove the San from the country.

Only 3% of the population identify as white Africans. Botswana has a sizable Indian population of Indian-Africans of many generations who came from South Africa, Mauritius, Kenya and elsewhere. The country also has tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who came seeking better economic conditions.

The median age in Botswana is reported to be at 24.5 years of age in 2018, with a total life expectancy of approximately 63.3 years. The birthrate in the same year is at 22.1 births per 1,000 population, with a competing death rate of approximately 9 individuals passing away per 1,000 population.

Health Threats

While Botswana has the highest Human Development Index among continental Sub-Saharan African countries, it is one of the hardest hit in the world by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. About 25% of Botswana’s population is estimated to be infected. Botswana has the third highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world as of 2018.

Quality of Life in Botswana

In 2018, Botswana makes a ranking of 146, leaving only 10 states with lesser ratings in this report. The overall happiness rating is based on a zero to ten point scale, with a score of merely 3.590. The report takes a variety of scored factors into consideration for the ranking. A total of six indicators are factored in, including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.