Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Botswana

Botswana: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 35.8% in 2015. ▼ Falling

Latest (2015)
35.8%
World rank
25th
of 120 countries
All-time high
63.7%
in 1985
All-time low
33.9%
in 2009
Years of data
5
1985–2015

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Botswana, 1985–2015

02040601985200020151985: 63.7 %1993: 55.9 %2002: 49.2 %2009: 33.9 %2015: 35.8 %

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

Analysis

In 2015, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Botswana stood at 35.8%.

That represents a change of down 27.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Botswana peaked at 63.7% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 33.9%, in 2009.

That places Botswana 25th out of 120 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 63.7% 63.7% 63.7% 1
1990s 55.9% 55.9% 55.9% 1
2000s 41.6% 33.9% 49.2% 2
2010s 35.8% 35.8% 35.8% 1

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 22 Cameroon 41.3% compare
  2. 23 Gambia 40.2% compare
  3. 24 Senegal 37.3% compare
  4. 26 South Africa 30.2% compare
  5. 27 Philippines 29.3% compare
  6. 28 Guinea 29.2% 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 $4.20 a day in Botswana?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Botswana was 35.8% 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 $4.20 a day recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 63.7% in 1985.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 33.9% in 2009.
How does Botswana rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
Botswana ranks 25th out of 120 countries with data for 2015.
Is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 $4.20 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 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 $4.20 per day.