Democracy in Botswana
Botswana: Democracy was 6 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Democracy in Botswana, 1885–2025
Source: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy in Botswana is 6, measured in 2025.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy in Botswana peaked at 7 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1885.
Botswana ranks 78th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.4 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 1970s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.2 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.3 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 78 Albania 6 compare
- 78 Armenia 6 compare
- 78 Bhutan 6 compare
- 78 Bolivia 6 compare
- 78 Bosnia and Herzegovina 6 compare
- 78 Colombia 6 compare
- 78 East Timor 6 compare
- 78 Ecuador 6 compare
- 78 Gambia 6 compare
- 78 Guatemala 6 compare
- 78 Honduras 6 compare
- 78 Hungary 6 compare
- 78 India 6 compare
- 78 Indonesia 6 compare
- 78 Iraq 6 compare
- 78 Israel 6 compare
- 78 Kenya 6 compare
- 78 Lebanon 6 compare
- 78 Lesotho 6 compare
- 78 Liberia 6 compare
- 78 Malawi 6 compare
- 78 Malaysia 6 compare
- 78 Maldives 6 compare
- 78 Mexico 6 compare
- 78 Moldova 6 compare
- 78 Montenegro 6 compare
- 78 Nepal 6 compare
- 78 North Macedonia 6 compare
- 78 Paraguay 6 compare
- 78 Peru 6 compare
- 78 Philippines 6 compare
- 78 Senegal 6 compare
- 78 Slovakia 6 compare
- 78 Solomon Islands 6 compare
- 78 Sri Lanka 6 compare
- 78 Ukraine 6 compare
- 78 Zambia 6 compare
More reference data data for Botswana
- Spring temperature anomalies -1.39 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8179 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.391 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -1.55 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 202.64 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy in Botswana?
- Democracy in Botswana was 6 in 2025, according to Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 1988.
- What is the lowest democracy recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1885.
- How does Botswana rank for democracy?
- Botswana ranks 78th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is democracy rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 141 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country. It distinguishes between non-electoral autocracies (score 0), one-party autocracies (score 1), multi-party autocracies without elected executive (score 2), multi-party autocracies (score 3), exclusive democracies (score 4), male democracies (score 5), electoral democracies (score 6), and full democracies (score 7).