The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Botswana
Botswana: The share and number of people living in extreme poverty was 21.4% in 2015. ▼ Falling
The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Botswana, 1985–2015
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 21.4% for the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in 2015.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 38.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Botswana peaked at 50.1% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 21.1%, in 2009.
That places Botswana 22nd out of 120 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top quarter.
The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 50.1% | — |
| 1993 | 42.1% | -16.0% |
| 2002 | 34.8% | -17.4% |
| 2009 | 21.1% | -39.5% |
| 2015 | 21.4% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 50.1% | 50.1% | 50.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 42.1% | 42.1% | 42.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 27.9% | 21.1% | 34.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 21.4% | 21.4% | 21.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More poverty & inequality data for Botswana
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 0 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.73 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 900.4 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 3.47 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 22.79 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 22.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Botswana?
- The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Botswana was 21.4% in 2015, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest the share and number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 50.1% in 1985.
- What is the lowest the share and number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.1% in 2009.
- How does Botswana rank for the share and number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Botswana ranks 22nd out of 120 countries with data for 2015.
- Is the share and number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of The share and number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.