Country explorer: Botswana

Botswana has seen notable economic progress characterized by significant growth in GDP per capita, a complex transformation in the distribution of its population across different poverty thresholds, persistently high but slowly changing unemployment rates, and a fluctuating inflation rate, thereby distinguishing itself as one of the more economically stable and growing nations within its peer group of upper-middle-income countries.

Botswana has demonstrated steady growth in population and improvements in life expectancy, coupled with a gradual decline in fertility rate, reflecting broader trends of socioeconomic development and health improvements common among upper-middle-income countries, albeit with distinct achievements in increasing life expectancy despite historical health challenges.

Botswana has made significant progress in basic needs, notably outpacing many of its peers in the region with steady increases in access to clean cooking fuels and electricity, reflecting its commitment to improving public health and infrastructure.

Botswana has showcased remarkable progress in human development, as evidenced by improvements in the Human Development Index, reductions in child mortality rates, increases in literacy rates, and enhancements in the quality of education, positioning it as an exemplary model of growth amongst upper-middle-income countries in Africa.

Botswana has experienced a decline in per capita CO₂ emissions, a gradual shift towards renewable energy sources, a decrease in per capita renewable freshwater resources, and a reduction in forest area, reflecting a complex interplay of environmental stewardship, energy transition, and challenges in natural resource management, common among its regional peers but distinct in its nuanced progress and specific environmental dynamics.

Botswana has demonstrated a significant digital and mobile connectivity advancement, alongside a growing engagement with scientific research, reflecting a technological and innovative progression parallel to global upper-middle-income countries, although with fluctuations in research and development investment.

Botswana has experienced a notable influx of foreign-born population, shown by a near doubling of its percentage, alongside significant improvements in gender inequality and self-reported life satisfaction, yet maintaining a steady age dependency ratio, reflecting a unique blend of societal advancement within the context of sustained demographic pressures.

Botswana has experienced a notable decline in governance quality, marked by a decrease in rule of law, rise in corruption perception, and erosion of political civil liberties and press freedom, standing out as a concerning trend among its Southern African peers and upper-middle-income countries.