PopulationTracker

Botswana population

Current population of Botswana

2,607,731

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
35
Deaths today
8
Change today (UTC)
+23
World rank
144th of 218
0.03% of world population
Population
2,562,122
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+1.61%
2025
Density
4.4 /km²
2023
Land area
566,730 km²
Urban population
68%
2025
Median age
23.4 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
2.70
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
69.3 yrs
2024
Net migration
−5,665
2025
Capital
Gaborone
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa

Population of Botswana: overview

Botswana has a population of 2,562,122 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 144th largest in the world. Botswana is part of the Sub-Saharan Africa region and its capital is Gaborone.

The population is expanding quickly, at 1.61% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 40,983 additional people over the past year.

With roughly 4.4 people per km², Botswana is among the emptiest inhabited places in the world, spread across 566,730 km² of land. A slim urban majority has emerged, with 68% of people living in cities.

The population is young, with a median age of 23.4 years. The fertility rate of 2.70 children per woman sits above the replacement level of 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 69.3 years (2024).

The UN projects strong growth ahead: 3.44 million people by 2050, about 34% more than today. The 2030 projection is 2,765,918.

Botswana population, 1960–2025 and projections

0750K1.5M2.3M3M3.8M19601980200020202040projected2025: 2.56M1960: 516,1651961: 527,9421962: 540,1861963: 552,9661964: 566,2661965: 574,6641966: 577,8661967: 580,9331968: 583,9661969: 587,0661970: 590,3341971: 600,4811972: 622,4071973: 652,4081974: 685,4481975: 720,3801976: 758,5081977: 799,5741978: 849,2391979: 901,7421980: 937,4851981: 969,9961982: 1,009,2691983: 1,046,1371984: 1,083,6601985: 1,121,9451986: 1,160,6501987: 1,199,1671988: 1,235,4761989: 1,270,2741990: 1,305,6961991: 1,341,7561992: 1,380,0331993: 1,420,1151994: 1,460,0231995: 1,498,8361996: 1,535,9141997: 1,571,6911998: 1,606,8991999: 1,641,9972000: 1,677,3822001: 1,712,2542002: 1,744,7632003: 1,775,7362004: 1,807,1462005: 1,839,8772006: 1,874,5162007: 1,911,2012008: 1,949,9702009: 1,990,6732010: 2,033,1112011: 2,073,5352012: 2,108,6172013: 2,140,6822014: 2,172,0442015: 2,203,2732016: 2,234,7762017: 2,266,7472018: 2,299,1412019: 2,332,0832020: 2,365,8942021: 2,401,4412022: 2,439,8922023: 2,480,2442024: 2,521,1392025: 2,562,1222030: 2,765,9182050: 3,437,430
Population of Botswana by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
20252,562,122+1.61%+40,983
20242,521,139+1.64%+40,895
20232,480,244+1.64%+40,352
20222,439,892+1.59%+38,451
20212,401,441+1.49%+35,547
20202,365,894+1.44%+33,811
20192,332,083+1.42%+32,942
20182,299,141+1.42%+32,394
20172,266,747+1.42%+31,971
20162,234,776+1.42%+31,503
20152,203,273+1.43%+31,229
20142,172,044+1.45%+31,362
20102,033,111+2.11%+42,438
20051,839,877+1.80%+32,731
20001,677,382+2.13%+35,385
19951,498,836+2.62%+38,813
19901,305,696+2.75%+35,422
19851,121,945+3.47%+38,285
1980937,485+3.89%+35,743
1975720,380+4.97%+34,932
1970590,334+0.56%+3,268
1965574,664+1.47%+8,398
1960516,165––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Botswana population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Botswana
YearProjected populationvs today
20302,765,918+8.0%
20503,437,430+34.2%

Botswana population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 32.0% of Botswana's population is under 15, 64.0% is of working age (15–64), and 4.1% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%0-4 male: 151,440 (5.9%)0-4 female: 148,236 (5.8%)0-45-9 male: 135,845 (5.3%)5-9 female: 134,453 (5.2%)10-14 male: 125,214 (4.9%)10-14 female: 123,581 (4.8%)10-1415-19 male: 122,252 (4.8%)15-19 female: 121,150 (4.7%)20-24 male: 122,839 (4.8%)20-24 female: 122,883 (4.8%)20-2425-29 male: 121,380 (4.7%)25-29 female: 122,018 (4.8%)30-34 male: 121,463 (4.7%)30-34 female: 120,827 (4.7%)30-3435-39 male: 94,672 (3.7%)35-39 female: 92,441 (3.6%)40-44 male: 71,032 (2.8%)40-44 female: 68,984 (2.7%)40-4445-49 male: 55,607 (2.2%)45-49 female: 56,416 (2.2%)50-54 male: 45,113 (1.8%)50-54 female: 47,614 (1.9%)50-5455-59 male: 36,655 (1.4%)55-59 female: 39,968 (1.6%)60-64 male: 26,674 (1.0%)60-64 female: 28,755 (1.1%)60-6465-69 male: 19,545 (0.8%)65-69 female: 20,921 (0.8%)70-74 male: 13,771 (0.5%)70-74 female: 15,940 (0.6%)70-7475-79 male: 7,529 (0.3%)75-79 female: 10,823 (0.4%)80-84 male: 3,583 (0.1%)80-84 female: 6,082 (0.2%)80-8485-89 male: 1,448 (0.1%)85-89 female: 3,139 (0.1%)90-94 male: 373 (0.0%)90-94 female: 1,126 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 52 (0.0%)95-99 female: 237 (0.0%)100+ male: 4 (0.0%)100+ female: 36 (0.0%)100+

Botswana population FAQ

What is the population of Botswana in 2026?

Botswana's population is estimated at about 2.61 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 2,562,122 (2025). Botswana ranks 144th in the world by population.

Is the population of Botswana growing or shrinking?

Botswana's population is growing at about 1.61% per year, an increase of roughly 40,983 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Botswana?

Botswana has about 4 people per square kilometre across a land area of 566,730 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Botswana?

Botswana is home to about 0.03% of the world's population.

What is Botswana's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Botswana's population at 3,437,430 in 2050, passing through 2,765,918 in 2030.

What is the median age in Botswana?

The median age in Botswana is 23.4 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.