Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic) in Botswana

Botswana: Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic) was 26.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
26.5%
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
4th
of 130 countries
All-time high
27.2%
in 2021
All-time low
19.5%
in 2006
Years of data
9
2006–2024

Unemployment with basic education in Botswana, 2006–2024

01020302006201520242006: 19.5 % of total labor force with basic education2009: 21.1 % of total labor force with basic education2010: 21 % of total labor force with basic education2019: 22.7 % of total labor force with basic education2020: 22.2 % of total labor force with basic education2021: 27.2 % of total labor force with basic education2022: 25.4 % of total labor force with basic education2023: 27.1 % of total labor force with basic education2024: 26.5 % of total labor force with basic education

Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total labor force with basic education.

Analysis

In 2024, unemployment with basic education in Botswana stood at 26.5%.

That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and up 26.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment with basic education in Botswana peaked at 27.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2006.

That places Botswana 4th out of 130 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic) in Botswana, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) in Botswana, 2006 to 2024.
Year % of total labor force with basic education Change
2006 19.5% —
2009 21.1% +8.4%
2010 21.0% -0.4%
2019 22.7% +8.2%
2020 22.2% -2.3%
2021 27.2% +22.5%
2022 25.4% -6.9%
2023 27.1% +7.1%
2024 26.5% -2.3%

Botswana compared with similar countries

  • Botswana's 26.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 4.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
  • Botswana's 26.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.9%, 5.5× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 20.3% 19.5% 21.1% 2
2010s 21.9% 21.0% 22.7% 2
2020s 25.7% 22.2% 27.2% 5

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 1 Slovakia 40.1% compare
  2. 2 South Africa 39.3% compare
  3. 3 Palestine 32.6% compare
  4. 5 Sweden 25.7% compare
  5. 6 Montenegro 23.1% compare
  6. 7 Kosovo 21.4% compare
  7. 7 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 21.4% compare

See the full ranking of 150 places →

More work & labour data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment with basic education in Botswana?
Unemployment with basic education in Botswana was 26.5% in 2024, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment with basic education recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 27.2% in 2021.
What is the lowest unemployment with basic education recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2006.
How does Botswana rank for unemployment with basic education?
Botswana ranks 4th out of 130 countries with data for 2024.
Is unemployment with basic education rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unemployment with basic education in Botswana. Statizoid, drawing on Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-with-basic-education-percent-of-total-labor-force-with-basic-education/botswana/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-with-basic-education-percent-of-total-labor-force-with-basic-education/botswana/">Unemployment with basic education in Botswana</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education)
Unit
% of total labor force with basic education
Source
Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
150 places, 2,716 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).