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.
Female employment rate in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 45.1% | — |
| 1991 | 34.8% | -22.9% |
| 1994 | 39.0% | +12.1% |
| 1996 | 34.8% | -10.9% |
| 1998 | 36.6% | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 40.3% | +10.0% |
| 2001 | 35.9% | -10.9% |
| 2006 | 42.2% | +17.4% |
| 2009 | 44.8% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 41.5% | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 39.4% | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 49.1% | +24.6% |
| 2019 | 46.0% | -6.4% |
| 2020 | 47.2% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 44.1% | -6.5% |
| 2022 | 44.5% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 46.1% | +3.6% |
| 2024 | 48.0% | +4.1% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 48.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 48.6%, 99% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 48.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 56.1%, 86% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
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
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.146 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1401 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1516 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9387 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.07 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 2,871 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 550.66 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,969 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,868 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,837 1000 No (2100)
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.
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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.