Extreme Poverty in Botswana: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Statistics often mask the individual experience, but they document a fundamental struggle for survival. To be counted within these percentages is to live at a threshold where households struggle to secure the most basic necessities for a single day. In the 2020s, extreme poverty in Botswana stands at 35 % — ranking #122 of 157 countries. This is not merely a data point; it is the daily reality of millions navigating shifting economic conditions in a search for stability and dignity.

The trajectory of this nation reveals a slow, structural transition. For over a century, the burden remained stagnant; in 1900 it was 80 %. A gradual decline followed, moving from 79 % in the 1910s to 75 % by the 1950s. Progress accelerated as the 1960s recorded 68.33 %, eventually reaching a 55 % plateau held from the 1980s through the 2000s. The 2010s saw a drop to 45 %, marking a definitive shift away from the constants of the past.

If you were born during the 1800s, 80 % of your peers shared the same extreme constraints. Today, that weight has shifted, and the horizon of opportunity is expanding. Projections suggest a continued descent: 26.25 % in the 2030s, down to 14.77 % by the 2050s, and eventually 3.5 % in the 2100s. These decadal shifts redefine what is possible for each new generation born into this landscape.

Compare your own life experience against these global cohorts to see where you rank among everyone ever born on MYRIAD.