Botswana Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Botswana is 2,615,162 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 2,521,139 in 2024.

Botswana is ranked 142/197 by population and was ranked 145th in 2006.
Since 2006, population has increased from 1.87M people to 2.62M (39.5% growth in 20 years).
Botswana accounts for 0.03% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, Botswana has had an average growth rate of 1.98% per year.
Botswana is projected to reach 3.92M people in 2088.

Botswana population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	3,871,504	-0.13%
2099	3,876,625	-0.16%
2098	3,882,670	-0.14%
2097	3,887,985	-0.13%
2096	3,892,886	-0.11%
2095	3,897,211	-0.11%
2094	3,901,478	-0.1%
2093	3,905,541	-0.1%
2092	3,909,490	-0.11%
2091	3,913,899	-0.07%
2090	3,916,706	-0.02%
2089	3,917,351	-0.004%
2088	3,917,510	0.02%
2087	3,916,826	0.01%
2086	3,916,303	0.01%
2085	3,915,785	0.04%
2084	3,914,364	0.04%
2083	3,912,929	0.05%
2082	3,910,994	0.03%
2081	3,910,013	0.04%
2080	3,908,255	0.07%
2079	3,905,358	0.12%
2078	3,900,828	0.12%
2077	3,896,126	0.14%
2076	3,890,528	0.15%
2075	3,884,696	0.15%
2074	3,879,057	0.15%
2073	3,873,259	0.2%
2072	3,865,665	0.18%
2071	3,858,720	0.19%
2070	3,851,234	0.26%
2069	3,841,316	0.27%
2068	3,830,826	0.33%
2067	3,818,341	0.33%
2066	3,805,705	0.38%
2065	3,791,211	0.4%
2064	3,775,938	0.42%
2063	3,760,179	0.47%
2062	3,742,710	0.52%
2061	3,723,346	0.54%
2060	3,703,231	0.55%
2059	3,682,816	0.64%
2058	3,659,567	0.66%
2057	3,635,514	0.66%
2056	3,611,843	0.69%
2055	3,587,056	0.7%
2054	3,562,182	0.75%
2053	3,535,732	0.79%
2052	3,507,938	0.8%
2051	3,479,939	0.82%
2050	3,451,521	0.86%
2049	3,422,143	0.9%
2048	3,391,720	0.93%
2047	3,360,414	0.97%
2046	3,328,208	0.96%
2045	3,296,489	0.96%
2044	3,265,120	0.99%
2043	3,233,076	0.99%
2042	3,201,405	1.03%
2041	3,168,873	1.05%
2040	3,135,889	1.1%
2039	3,101,794	1.11%
2038	3,067,648	1.16%
2037	3,032,620	1.19%
2036	2,996,884	1.23%
2035	2,960,590	1.27%
2034	2,923,411	1.3%
2033	2,885,991	1.36%
2032	2,847,292	1.37%
2031	2,808,872	1.46%
2030	2,768,505	1.47%
2029	2,728,467	1.54%
2028	2,686,968	1.55%
2027	2,645,863	1.62%
2026	2,603,779	1.6%
2025	2,562,651	1.65%
2024	2,521,139	1.65%
2023	2,480,244	1.65%
2022	2,439,892	1.6%
2021	2,401,441	1.5%
2020	2,365,894	1.45%
2019	2,332,083	1.43%
2018	2,299,141	1.43%
2017	2,266,747	1.43%
2016	2,234,776	1.43%
2015	2,203,273	1.44%
2014	2,172,044	1.47%
2013	2,140,682	1.52%
2012	2,108,617	1.69%
2011	2,073,535	1.99%
2010	2,033,111	2.13%
2009	1,990,673	2.09%
2008	1,949,970	2.03%
2007	1,911,201	1.96%
2006	1,874,516	1.88%
2005	1,839,877	1.81%
2004	1,807,146	1.77%
2003	1,775,736	1.78%
2002	1,744,763	1.9%
2001	1,712,254	2.08%
2000	1,677,382	2.15%
1999	1,641,997	2.18%
1998	1,606,899	2.24%
1997	1,571,691	2.33%
1996	1,535,914	2.47%
1995	1,498,836	2.66%
1994	1,460,023	2.81%
1993	1,420,115	2.9%
1992	1,380,033	2.85%
1991	1,341,756	2.76%
1990	1,305,696	2.79%
1989	1,270,274	2.82%
1988	1,235,476	3.03%
1987	1,199,167	3.32%
1986	1,160,650	3.45%
1985	1,121,945	3.53%
1984	1,083,660	3.59%
1983	1,046,137	3.65%
1982	1,009,269	4.05%
1981	969,996	3.47%
1980	937,485	3.96%
1979	901,742	6.18%
1978	849,239	6.21%
1977	799,574	5.41%
1976	758,508	5.29%
1975	720,380	5.1%
1974	685,448	5.06%
1973	652,408	4.82%
1972	622,407	3.65%
1971	600,481	1.72%
1970	590,334	0.56%
1969	587,066	0.53%
1968	583,966	0.52%
1967	580,933	0.53%
1966	577,866	0.56%
1965	574,664	1.48%
1964	566,266	2.41%
1963	552,966	2.37%
1962	540,186	2.32%
1961	527,942	2.28%
1960	516,165	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/botswana | CC BY

Botswana has a population of 2.62M as of 2026, compared to 2.23M in 2016, 1.87M in 2006, and 1.54M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.7% per year. Botswana is ranked 80th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Botswana will have 3,328,208 people (27.3% growth) with a rank change from 142nd to 137th.

By the year 2100, Botswana's population is projected to grow by 48% from its current level to 3.87M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-5,665
2024	-	-	-5,778
2023	40,611	47,098	-6,487
2022	40,094	47,400	-7,306
2021	36,811	40,894	-4,083
2020	34,280	45,610	-11,330
2019	33,340	45,110	-11,770
2018	32,548	44,171	-11,623
2017	32,238	43,154	-10,916
2016	31,707	41,993	-10,286
2015	31,298	40,897	-9,599
2014	31,153	40,046	-8,893
2013	31,568	39,404	-7,836
2012	32,566	39,202	-6,636
2011	37,594	38,613	-1,019
2010	43,252	38,101	5,151
2009	41,631	36,671	4,960
2008	39,776	35,433	4,343
2007	37,758	33,832	3,926
2006	35,610	31,340	4,270
2005	33,668	29,385	4,283
2004	31,795	27,481	4,314
2003	31,033	26,545	4,488
2002	30,910	26,163	4,747
2001	34,103	26,112	7,991
2000	35,648	25,850	9,798
1999	35,120	25,358	9,762
1998	35,082	25,397	9,685
1997	35,335	25,738	9,597
1996	36,215	26,847	9,368
1995	37,942	28,478	9,464
1994	39,687	30,664	9,023
1993	40,132	31,691	8,441
1992	40,021	31,995	8,026
1991	36,530	32,219	4,311
1990	35,595	33,015	2,580
1989	35,251	33,756	1,495
1988	34,349	34,564	-215
1987	38,271	35,647	2,624
1986	38,761	36,203	2,558
1985	38,649	35,966	2,683
1984	37,923	35,530	2,393
1983	37,122	35,142	1,980
1982	36,610	34,859	1,751
1981	41,937	34,327	7,610
1980	23,085	33,934	-10,849
1979	48,404	32,486	15,918
1978	56,611	30,596	26,015
1977	42,717	29,009	13,708
1976	39,411	27,497	11,914
1975	36,848	25,762	11,086
1974	33,014	24,160	8,854
1973	33,064	22,449	10,615
1972	26,941	21,004	5,937
1971	16,910	19,926	-3,016
1970	3,384	19,438	-16,054
1969	3,154	19,024	-15,870
1968	3,044	18,725	-15,681
1967	3,025	18,463	-15,438
1966	3,110	18,250	-15,140
1965	3,292	18,045	-14,753
1964	13,508	17,634	-4,126
1963	13,084	17,084	-4,000
1962	12,479	16,507	-4,028
1961	12,017	16,185	-4,168
1960	11,530	15,861	-4,331

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/botswana | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 82.5% of the population change in Botswana is from natural causes (a gain of 436,373 people) and 17.5% is from migration (a loss of 92,293 people).

As of 2024, 116,402 residents or 4.6% of the population were not native-born in Botswana, compared to 94,863 and 4.7% in 2010.

Botswana population clock

	Botswana	Rank
Current population	2615162	142/197
Percent of world population	0.03%	142/197
One net population change	12.9 minutes	114/197
One birth every	8.58 minutes	124/196
One death every	37 minutes	147/196
Daily growth/decline	+112	114/197
Annual growth/decline	+40,895	114/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.65%	66/197
One migration net change every	1.55 hours	120/196
Annual migration change	-5,665	120/196
Foreign-born residents	116,402	126/195
Foreign-born share of population	4.6%	96/195

Largest cities by population

Botswana
City	Population
Gaborone	236K
Francistown	103K
Molepolole	67.6K

Botswana population statistics

	Botswana	World
Life expectancy	69.6 years	73.8 years
Average age	26.7 years	33.8 years
Median age	24.2 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.8:50.2	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	2.73 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	11.9 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Botswana.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/botswana | CC BY