Employment by status in Botswana
Botswana: Employment by status was 71.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Employment by status in Botswana, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment by status in Botswana is 71.8%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Botswana peaked at 80.3% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 69.2%, in 2013.
Botswana ranks 83rd of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Employment by status in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 79.6% | — |
| 1992 | 79.8% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 80.0% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 80.1% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 80.2% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 80.3% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 79.6% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 79.0% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 78.3% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 77.7% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 77.0% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 76.3% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 75.5% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 74.6% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 73.7% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 72.7% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 71.7% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 70.7% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 69.6% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 69.5% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 69.4% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 69.2% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 69.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 69.4% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 69.6% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 69.8% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 70.0% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 70.2% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 70.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 71.0% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 71.4% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 71.6% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 71.8% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 71.8% | +0.1% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 71.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 67.6%, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 71.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.5%, 2.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79.6% | 78.3% | 80.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 74.0% | 69.6% | 77.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.7% | 69.2% | 70.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.5% | 71.0% | 71.8% | 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 employment by status in Botswana?
- Employment by status in Botswana was 71.8% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 80.3% in 1996.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.2% in 2013.
- How does Botswana rank for employment by status?
- Botswana ranks 83rd out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.