Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Botswana
Botswana: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 24.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Botswana, 1985–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Botswana is 24.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Botswana peaked at 25.7% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 1991.
That places Botswana 4th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 25.7% | — |
| 1991 | 13.8% | -46.2% |
| 1994 | 21.2% | +53.4% |
| 1996 | 21.6% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 20.9% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 15.9% | -23.9% |
| 2001 | 19.6% | +23.4% |
| 2003 | 23.8% | +21.5% |
| 2006 | 17.8% | -25.3% |
| 2009 | 16.2% | -9.1% |
| 2010 | 17.9% | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 20.0% | +12.0% |
| 2013 | 20.0% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 20.1% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 21.0% | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 23.1% | +9.9% |
| 2022 | 23.6% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 23.4% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 24.4% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25.7% | 25.7% | 25.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 19.4% | 13.8% | 21.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 18.6% | 15.9% | 23.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 19.5% | 17.9% | 20.1% | 4 |
| 2020s | 23.1% | 21.0% | 24.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 1 Eswatini 34.3% compare
- 2 South Africa 32.3% compare
- 3 Palestine, State of 28.7% compare
- 5 French Polynesia 21.8% compare
- 6 Namibia 19.9% compare
- 7 Curaçao 19.1% 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 unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Botswana?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Botswana was 24.4% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 25.7% in 1985.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 1991.
- How does Botswana rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Botswana ranks 4th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.