Botswana Population Pyramid 1985
Botswana in 1985
In 1985, Botswana had a total population of 1,121,945 people. A decade earlier, in 1975, the population was 720,380; it has grown by 55.7% since.
The median age was 16.8 years, and for every 100 people of working age (15–64) there were 90.8 children under 15 and 5.9 people aged 65 or over. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.
Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.
The fertility rate of Botswana was 2.73 births per woman in 2023, above the 2.1 needed to replace each generation.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
Life expectancy at birth was 69.2 years in 2023: 71.7 for women and 66.7 for men.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
108,902 immigrants live in Botswana, 4.3% of the population.
| Zimbabwe | 67,878 |
| South Africa | 6,052 |
| India | 5,964 |
| China | 5,043 |
| Zambia | 4,661 |
16,731 people born in Botswana live in other countries.
| South Africa | 8,004 |
| Zimbabwe | 3,985 |
| Australia | 1,736 |
| Zambia | 1,498 |
| Namibia | 731 |
Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.
| Country | Population | Median age | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana | 1,121,945 | 16.8 | |
| Namibia | 1,096,890 | 16.7 | |
| Swaziland | 706,196 | 15.2 | |
| Lesotho | 1,624,379 | 18.4 | |
| South Africa | 35,042,093 | 20.4 |





