Botswana vs Uganda: Share of population living in urban areas

Botswana
69.2%
in 2020
Uganda
69.6%
in 2020
Botswana rank
147th
Uganda rank
145th

Share of population living in urban areas over time

  • Botswana
  • Uganda
204060195019852020

How they compare

Uganda currently reports 69.6% against 69.2% in Botswana, a difference of 0.4%.

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

Botswana ranks 147th and Uganda ranks 145th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 7 and Uganda in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Botswana Uganda Difference Ahead
1950s 47.2% 15.5% 31.7% Botswana
1960s 50.1% 20.2% 29.9% Botswana
1970s 51.7% 26.0% 25.7% Botswana
1980s 60.4% 30.7% 29.7% Botswana
1990s 64.9% 39.3% 25.6% Botswana
2000s 67.9% 48.5% 19.4% Botswana
2010s 69.5% 58.7% 10.8% Botswana
2020s 69.2% 69.6% 0.4% Uganda

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in urban areas, Botswana or Uganda?
Uganda, at 69.6% against 69.2% in Botswana as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in urban areas between Botswana and Uganda?
0.4%, with Uganda ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Uganda?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do Botswana and Uganda rank globally for share of population living in urban areas?
Botswana ranks 147th and Uganda ranks 145th 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.