Male labor force participation rate in Botswana
Botswana: Male labor force participation rate was 74.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
74.0%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
55th
of 186 countries
All-time high
78.0%
in 1990
All-time low
66.5%
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Male labor force participation rate in Botswana, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, male labor force participation rate in Botswana stood at 74.0%.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor force participation rate in Botswana peaked at 78.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 66.5%, in 2020.
Botswana ranks 55th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Male labor force participation rate in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 78.0% | — |
| 1991 | 77.4% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 76.9% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 76.3% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 75.6% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 74.8% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 73.8% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 72.9% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 72.0% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 70.3% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 68.4% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 68.2% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 67.9% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 67.7% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 67.4% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 67.2% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 67.9% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 68.8% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 69.7% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 66.7% | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 67.3% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 67.7% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 68.0% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 68.2% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 68.3% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 68.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 68.6% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 68.8% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 69.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 66.5% | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 69.1% | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 69.4% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 73.2% | +5.5% |
| 2024 | 73.8% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 74.0% | +0.3% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 74.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 71.6%, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 74.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.1%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 74.8% | 70.3% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.0% | 66.9% | 69.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.1% | 66.7% | 69.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.0% | 66.5% | 74.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 52 New Zealand 74.7% compare
- 53 Cote d'Ivoire 74.4% compare
- 54 Zimbabwe 74.3% compare
- 56 Cameroon 73.9% compare
- 57 Uzbekistan 73.9% compare
- 58 Macao 73.6% compare
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 male labor force participation rate in Botswana?
- Male labor force participation rate in Botswana was 74.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor force participation rate recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 78.0% in 1990.
- What is the lowest male labor force participation rate recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.5% in 2020.
- How does Botswana rank for male labor force participation rate?
- Botswana ranks 55th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor force participation rate rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Male labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of the male working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).