Political Polarization Score in Botswana

Botswana: Political Polarization Score was -1.9 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
-1.9
Change on year
down 4.6%
World rank
166th
of 174 countries
All-time high
-0.867
in 1910
All-time low
-3.06
in 1960
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Political Polarization Score in Botswana, 1900–2025

-3-2.5-2-1.5-1190019622025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, political polarization score in Botswana stood at -1.9.

That represents a change of down 4.6% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political polarization score in Botswana peaked at -0.867 in 1910 and was at its lowest, -3.06, in 1960.

Botswana ranks 166th of 174 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 126 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s -1.15 -1.15 -1.15 10
1910s -0.8949 -1.15 -0.867 10
1920s -0.9614 -1.16 -0.913 10
1930s -0.9538 -1.16 -0.903 10
1940s -0.9626 -1.16 -0.915 10
1950s -0.9351 -1.16 -0.879 10
1960s -2.44 -3.06 -1.79 10
1970s -2.41 -2.77 -2.32 10
1980s -2.42 -2.77 -2.33 10
1990s -2.1 -2.74 -2.03 10
2000s -1.86 -2.73 -1.77 10
2010s -1.79 -2.25 -1.48 10
2020s -1.69 -2.49 -1.19 6

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 163 Barbados -1.78 compare
  2. 164 Uruguay -1.81 compare
  3. 167 Vanuatu -1.93 compare
  4. 168 Qatar -1.94 compare
  5. 169 Trinidad and Tobago -1.99 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More reference data data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is political polarization score in Botswana?
Political polarization score in Botswana was -1.9 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest political polarization score recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was -0.867 in 1910.
What is the lowest political polarization score recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was -3.06 in 1960.
How does Botswana rank for political polarization score?
Botswana ranks 166th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is political polarization score rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Political Polarization Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Political Polarization Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
174 places, 20,575 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which society is divided into hostile political camps, where political differences undermine social relationships and discourage interaction across ideological lines.