Botswana Demographics

Population of Botswana (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Botswana

Botswana Population
2,603,388
see live
Yearly Change
+1.61%
Global Share
0.03%
Global Rank
146

Median Age

The median age in Botswana is 23.7 years (2026).

Fertility in Botswana

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
2.63
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Botswana

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
69.6
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
72.2
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
67.0
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Botswana


Infant Mortality
26.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
35.2
(per 1,000 live births)


Botswana Urban Population

Currently, 68.5% of the population of Botswana is urban (1,783,655 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Botswana is 5 people per km² (12 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 566,730 km² (218,816 sq. miles).

Largest Cities, Towns and Urban Villages in Botswana

The 30 largest of 67 cities, towns and urban villages, ranked by population at the census of March 18, 2022 (by Statistics Botswana).

RankCity, Town or Urban VillagePopulation
1Gaborone246,325
2Francistown103,417
3Mogoditshane88,004
4Maun85,350
5Molepolole74,861
6Serowe55,676
7Tlokweng55,508
8Palapye52,636
9Mochudi50,321
10Mahalapye48,431
11Kanye48,028
12Selebi-Phikwe42,488
13Letlhakane36,404
14Ramotswa33,271
15Lobatse29,772
16Mmopane25,460
17Thamaga25,300
18Moshupa23,858
19Tonota23,296
20Bobonong21,216
21Gabane20,027
22Ghanzi19,012
23Jwaneng18,784
24Tutume18,582
25Kopong13,823
26Mmadinare13,198
27Tati Siding12,404
28Tsabong11,651
29Metsimotlhaba11,617
30Gumare11,572
See all 67 cities, towns and urban villages in Botswana

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.