Share of land area that is protected in Botswana

Botswana: Share of land area that is protected was 27.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
27.6%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
49th
of 213 countries
All-time high
29.1%
in 2013
All-time low
27.6%
in 2025
Years of data
13
2013–2025

Share of land area that is protected in Botswana, 2013–2025

01020302013201920252013: 29.1 % of total land area2014: 29.1 % of total land area2015: 29.1 % of total land area2016: 29.1 % of total land area2017: 29.1 % of total land area2018: 29.1 % of total land area2019: 29.1 % of total land area2020: 29.1 % of total land area2021: 29.1 % of total land area2022: 29.1 % of total land area2023: 29.1 % of total land area2024: 29.1 % of total land area2025: 27.6 % of total land area

Source: Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total land area.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of land area that is protected in Botswana is 27.6%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.2% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land area that is protected in Botswana peaked at 29.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 27.6%, in 2025.

Botswana ranks 49th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 29.1% 29.1% 29.1% 7
2020s 28.9% 27.6% 29.1% 6

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 46 Zimbabwe 28.3% compare
  2. 47 Spain 28.1% compare
  3. 48 Togo 27.9% compare
  4. 49 Israel 27.6% compare
  5. 51 Senegal 27.5% compare
  6. 52 Andorra 27.3% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More reference data data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land area that is protected in Botswana?
Share of land area that is protected in Botswana was 27.6% in 2025, according to Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of land area that is protected recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 2013.
What is the lowest share of land area that is protected recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 27.6% in 2025.
How does Botswana rank for share of land area that is protected?
Botswana ranks 49th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of land area that is protected rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land area that is protected. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of land area that is protected
Unit
% of total land area
Source
Protected Planet WDPA and WD-OECM data, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
213 places, 2,746 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

Terrestrial protected areas are areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities in order to preserve their ecosystem services and cultural values.