Life in Botswana: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)
Updated July 2026 · methodology
A child born in Botswana in the 2020s can expect to live 62 years on an average income of 3,800 international dollars. (UN WPP / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)
To measure a nation is to count the quiet revolutions of the everyday. In Botswana, the shift from 1950s to the 2020s reveals a profound human transformation defined by survival and opportunity. Where life once stretched only 36 years, it now reaches 62 years. These shifts reflect more than mere statistics; they represent families moving from a reality where child mortality claimed 320 per 1,000 births to one where the rate is 75 per 1,000 births. It is a trajectory measured in decades, infrastructure, and the widening reach of education.
The historical arc of this progress is captured by the slow climb of resources and connectivity. In 1950, electricity at home was found in only 3 % of households, rising to 48 % in the 2020s. While internet access stood at 0 in 1950, it now reaches 29 % of the population. Urban life has expanded from 11 % to 41 %, mirroring a shift in how citizens earn their living. Average income has grown from 1,500 to 3,800 international dollars, even as extreme poverty dropped from 75 % to 35 %.
If you were born in Botswana in the 2020s, your life is shaped by these hard-won gains. You might expect to live 62 years, supported by an average of 6 years of schooling compared to the 1.2 years of the past. Your world involves less labor—2,050 hours per year against 2,200—and your family size has transitioned from 6.6 to 4.6 births per woman. Amid these changes, your physical stature has shifted from 167 to 169 cm. Use our interactive tool to see your parallel life in Botswana.
🇧🇼 Every dimension below links to the full three-century series for Botswana — and to the same series for every other country, so you can see exactly where the birth lottery placed its people.
The numbers today vs 1950
| Dimension | 1950s | 2020s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 36 | 62 years | history → |
| Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) | 1,500 | 3,800 intl-$ | history → |
| Child Mortality (under 5) | 320 | 75 per 1,000 births | history → |
| Years of Schooling | 1.2 | 6 years | history → |
| Children per Woman | 6.6 | 4.6 births | history → |
| Living in Cities | 11 | 41 % | history → |
| Internet Access | 0 | 29 % | history → |
| Electricity at Home | 3 | 48 % | history → |
| Homicide Rate | 11 | 9.5 per 100,000 | history → |
| Annual Working Hours | 2,200 | 2,050 hours/year | history → |
| Average Male Height | 167 | 169 cm | history → |
| Extreme Poverty | 75 | 35 % | history → |
See your parallel life in Botswana →
Questions people ask
What is life expectancy in Botswana?
62 years in the 2020s (UN WPP / World Bank data compiled by MYRIAD).
Is Botswana a good place to be born, statistically?
MYRIAD ranks every country by a composite of longevity, income, child survival, education and safety for each birth decade — enter your details on the homepage to see where Botswana lands for your cohort.