Female employment rate in Botswana
Botswana: Female employment rate was 48.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate in Botswana, 1985–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 48.0% for female employment rate in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Botswana peaked at 49.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 34.8%, in 1996.
Botswana ranks 105th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 45.1% | 45.1% | 45.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 36.3% | 34.8% | 39.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 40.8% | 35.9% | 44.8% | 4 |
| 2010s | 44.0% | 39.4% | 49.1% | 4 |
| 2020s | 46.0% | 44.1% | 48.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More work & labour data for Botswana
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 68.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.0% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 63.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 71.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 75.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 66.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in Botswana?
- Female employment rate in Botswana was 48.0% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 49.1% in 2013.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.8% in 1996.
- How does Botswana rank for female employment rate?
- Botswana ranks 105th out of 172 countries with data for 2024.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.