Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana
Botswana: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) was 42.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana, 1985–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana is 42.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana peaked at 42.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.2%, in 1991.
Botswana ranks 2nd of 157 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 28.4% | — |
| 1991 | 20.2% | -29.0% |
| 1996 | 33.5% | +66.3% |
| 2001 | 33.9% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 27.7% | -18.4% |
| 2009 | 26.7% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 29.6% | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 37.8% | +27.7% |
| 2019 | 35.7% | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 39.2% | +9.9% |
| 2021 | 39.0% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 37.7% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 40.5% | +7.3% |
| 2024 | 42.4% | +4.9% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 42.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.6%, 3.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 42.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.6%, 4.9× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +66.3% | 20.2% | 33.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.4% | 28.4% | 28.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 26.8% | 20.2% | 33.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 29.4% | 26.7% | 33.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 34.4% | 29.6% | 37.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 39.7% | 37.7% | 42.4% | 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 unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana?
- Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Botswana was 42.4% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 42.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.2% in 1991.
- How does Botswana rank for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24)?
- Botswana ranks 2nd out of 157 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. 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, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.