Urban population in Botswana
Botswana: Urban population was 1.74 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population in Botswana, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population in Botswana is 1.74 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and up 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Botswana peaked at 1.74 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 15,494, in 1960.
That places Botswana 138th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 25,329 | 15,494 | 46,553 | 10 |
| 1970s | 86,128 | 53,131 | 128,075 | 10 |
| 1980s | 294,889 | 140,061 | 519,734 | 10 |
| 1990s | 723,082 | 569,878 | 861,154 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.06 million | 892,447 | 1.25 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.42 million | 1.29 million | 1.55 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.65 million | 1.57 million | 1.74 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More climate change data for Botswana
- Population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Population, total 2.56 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.3% (2025)
- Urban population 68.0% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 0.2133 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 8.9% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 27.6% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 27.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Botswana?
- Urban population in Botswana was 1.74 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 1.74 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,494 in 1960.
- How does Botswana rank for urban population?
- Botswana ranks 138th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.