Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in Botswana

Botswana: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day was 1.1% in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
1.1%
World rank
15th
of 120 countries
All-time high
11.4%
in 1985
All-time low
1.1%
in 2015
Years of data
5
1985–2015

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in Botswana, 1985–2015

02.557.51012.51985200020151985: 11.4 %1993: 7 %2002: 4.6 %2009: 1.8 %2015: 1.1 %

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Botswana recorded 1.1% for poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 75.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Botswana peaked at 11.4% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2015.

That places Botswana 15th out of 120 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 11.4% 11.4% 11.4% 1
1990s 7.0% 7.0% 7.0% 1
2000s 3.2% 1.8% 4.6% 2
2010s 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 12 Kenya 1.7% compare
  2. 13 Colombia 1.7% compare
  3. 14 Guatemala 1.1% compare
  4. 16 Togo 1.0% compare
  5. 17 Niger 0.9% compare
  6. 18 Cameroon 0.9% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Botswana?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Botswana was 1.1% in 2015, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 11.4% in 1985.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2015.
How does Botswana rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day?
Botswana ranks 15th out of 120 countries with data for 2015.
Is poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 75.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day
Unit
%
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $1 per day.