Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Botswana
Botswana: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 4.38 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population density in Botswana, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Botswana is 4.38 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 6.4% over five years.
Over the whole period, population density in Botswana peaked at 4.38 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.11 people per sq. km of land area, in 2019.
That places Botswana 208th out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Botswana, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.9316 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 0.9532 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 0.9757 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 0.9992 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 1.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 1.02 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 1.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 1.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 1.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 1.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 1.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 1.1 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 1.15 people per sq. km of land area | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 1.21 people per sq. km of land area | +5.1% |
| 1975 | 1.27 people per sq. km of land area | +5.1% |
| 1976 | 1.34 people per sq. km of land area | +5.3% |
| 1977 | 1.41 people per sq. km of land area | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 1.5 people per sq. km of land area | +6.2% |
| 1979 | 1.59 people per sq. km of land area | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 1.65 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 1.71 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 1.78 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 1.85 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 1.91 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 1.98 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 2.05 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 2.12 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 2.18 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 2.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 2.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 2.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 2.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 2.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 2.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 2.64 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 2.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 2.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 2.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 2.9 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 2.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 3.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 3.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 3.13 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 3.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 3.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 3.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 3.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 3.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 3.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 3.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 3.66 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 3.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 3.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 3.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 3.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 3.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 4.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 4.11 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 4.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 4.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 4.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 4.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 4.38 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 86.73 people per sq. km of land area, 5% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 4.38 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 68.7 people per sq. km of land area, 6% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.9983 people per sq. km of land area | 0.9316 people per sq. km of land area | 1.04 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.27 people per sq. km of land area | 1.04 people per sq. km of land area | 1.59 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.95 people per sq. km of land area | 1.65 people per sq. km of land area | 2.24 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6 people per sq. km of land area | 2.3 people per sq. km of land area | 2.9 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.23 people per sq. km of land area | 2.96 people per sq. km of land area | 3.51 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.86 people per sq. km of land area | 3.59 people per sq. km of land area | 4.11 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.27 people per sq. km of land area | 4.17 people per sq. km of land area | 4.38 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 205 Kazakhstan 7.53 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 206 Mauritania 4.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 207 Canada 4.56 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 209 Libya 4.15 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 210 Suriname 3.92 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 211 Guyana 3.91 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Botswana
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 13.24 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.086 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 53.31 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 2.78 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Botswana?
- Population density in Botswana was 4.38 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 4.38 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.11 people per sq. km of land area in 2019.
- How does Botswana rank for population density?
- Botswana ranks 208th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.