Unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana

Botswana: Unemployment rate of males vs females was 21.49 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
21.49
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
4th
of 186 countries
All-time high
21.59
in 2003
All-time low
11.59
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana, 1991–2025

051015201991200820251991: 11.61992: 14.41993: 17.11994: 19.91995: 19.81996: 19.71997: 191998: 18.71999: 16.62000: 14.82001: 15.72002: 18.72003: 21.62004: 19.62005: 17.82006: 15.82007: 14.72008: 13.72009: 13.12010: 14.72011: 15.12012: 15.22013: 15.62014: 16.12015: 16.62016: 17.22017: 17.72018: 17.92019: 18.52020: 19.62021: 20.42022: 21.52023: 20.12024: 20.52025: 21.5

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana stood at 21.49.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 29.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana peaked at 21.59 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 11.59, in 1991.

That places Botswana 4th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 11.59 —
1992 14.38 +24.1%
1993 17.13 +19.1%
1994 19.9 +16.2%
1995 19.81 -0.5%
1996 19.72 -0.5%
1997 19.05 -3.4%
1998 18.75 -1.6%
1999 16.62 -11.3%
2000 14.79 -11.0%
2001 15.69 +6.1%
2002 18.73 +19.4%
2003 21.59 +15.3%
2004 19.61 -9.2%
2005 17.77 -9.4%
2006 15.78 -11.2%
2007 14.67 -7.0%
2008 13.66 -6.8%
2009 13.12 -4.0%
2010 14.71 +12.1%
2011 15.08 +2.5%
2012 15.16 +0.6%
2013 15.57 +2.7%
2014 16.05 +3.0%
2015 16.63 +3.6%
2016 17.19 +3.4%
2017 17.7 +2.9%
2018 17.88 +1.0%
2019 18.46 +3.3%
2020 19.6 +6.2%
2021 20.42 +4.2%
2022 21.48 +5.2%
2023 20.14 -6.3%
2024 20.53 +1.9%
2025 21.49 +4.7%

Botswana compared with similar countries

  • Botswana's 21.49 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.65, 3.8× the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • Botswana's 21.49 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.25, 4.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.44 11.59 19.9 9
2000s 16.54 13.12 21.59 10
2010s 16.44 14.71 18.46 10
2020s 20.61 19.6 21.49 6

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 1 Eswatini 32.46 compare
  2. 2 South Africa 30.99 compare
  3. 3 Djibouti 21.78 compare
  4. 5 Palestine 20.16 compare
  5. 6 Namibia 20.12 compare
  6. 7 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 19.53 compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana?
Unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana was 21.49 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rate of males vs females recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 21.59 in 2003.
What is the lowest unemployment rate of males vs females recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 11.59 in 1991.
How does Botswana rank for unemployment rate of males vs females?
Botswana ranks 4th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate of males vs females rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate of males vs females. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rate of males vs females in Botswana. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-of-males-vs-females/botswana/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate of males vs females
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed