Botswana vs Sweden: Share of population living in urban areas

Botswana
69.2%
in 2020
Sweden
68.8%
in 2020
Botswana rank
147th
Sweden rank
148th

Share of population living in urban areas over time

  • Botswana
  • Sweden
0204060195019852020

How they compare

Botswana currently reports 69.2% against 68.8% in Sweden, a difference of 0.4%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Sweden ahead.

Botswana ranks 147th and Sweden ranks 148th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 4 and Sweden in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Botswana Sweden Difference Ahead
1950s 47.2% 60.3% 13.1% Sweden
1960s 50.1% 61.5% 11.4% Sweden
1970s 51.7% 62.6% 10.9% Sweden
1980s 60.4% 62.4% 2.0% Sweden
1990s 64.9% 63.4% 1.5% Botswana
2000s 67.9% 65.2% 2.7% Botswana
2010s 69.5% 67.2% 2.3% Botswana
2020s 69.2% 68.8% 0.4% Botswana

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in urban areas, Botswana or Sweden?
Botswana, at 69.2% against 68.8% in Sweden as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in urban areas between Botswana and Sweden?
0.4%, with Botswana ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Sweden?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do Botswana and Sweden rank globally for share of population living in urban areas?
Botswana ranks 147th and Sweden ranks 148th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in urban areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in urban areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.