ILO estimate of the unemployment rate in Botswana
The ILO estimates the unemployment rate in Botswana at 24.5% in 2025. The value for 2025 is the highest in the series, which starts in 1991.
Botswana, 2025
24.5%
Change from 2024
+0.7percentage points
World, 2025
4.9%
Position in 2025
4th of 181
ILO estimate of the unemployment rate in Botswana over time
View
Botswana
World
×
The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of the labour force aged 15 and over. Source: ILO, ILOSTAT (ILO Modelled Estimates). Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years. Dashed lines are projections.
| Period | Botswana | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24.5% | 4.9% |
| 2024 | 23.8% | 4.9% |
| 2023 | 23.4% | 4.9% |
| 2022 | 23.6% | 5.3% |
| 2021 | 23.1% | 6.0% |
| 2020 | 21.0% | 6.6% |
| 2019 | 20.1% | 5.6% |
| 2018 | 19.7% | 5.8% |
| 2017 | 19.7% | 5.9% |
| 2016 | 19.3% | 6.0% |
Flags: f Projection . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of +0.7 percentage points from 23.8% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 18.9%, the figure has changed by +5.6 percentage points.
- Among the 181 countries with data for 2025, Botswana has the 4th highest value.
- The figure for the world in 2025 was 4.9%.
More for Botswana
All statistics for Botswana
ILO estimate of youth unemployment
46.0%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Labour force participation
68.8%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Women's labour force participation
63.7%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment-to-population ratio
52.0%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment in agriculture
18.0%
2025 · World Bank
Employment in industry
15.8%
2025 · World Bank