Arable land use per person in Botswana
Botswana: Arable land use per person was 0.1048 hectares per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.1048 hectares per person
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
106th
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.7558 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.0952 hectares per person
in 2007
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land use per person in Botswana, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 0.1048 hectares per person for arable land use per person in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land use per person in Botswana peaked at 0.7558 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0952 hectares per person, in 2007.
That places Botswana 106th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arable land use per person in Botswana, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.7558 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.7386 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 0.7216 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1964 | 0.7046 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 0.6961 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 0.6922 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 0.6885 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 0.685 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 0.6814 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 0.6776 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 0.6661 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 0.6443 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 0.6146 hectares per person | -4.6% |
| 1974 | 0.585 hectares per person | -4.8% |
| 1975 | 0.5567 hectares per person | -4.8% |
| 1976 | 0.5287 hectares per person | -5.0% |
| 1977 | 0.5015 hectares per person | -5.1% |
| 1978 | 0.4722 hectares per person | -5.8% |
| 1979 | 0.4469 hectares per person | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 0.4299 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 1981 | 0.4155 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 0.4013 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.3871 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 0.3737 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1985 | 0.3628 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1986 | 0.3507 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 0.3411 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 0.331 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 0.3259 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 0.3217 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 0.2236 hectares per person | -30.5% |
| 1992 | 0.1812 hectares per person | -19.0% |
| 1993 | 0.2465 hectares per person | +36.0% |
| 1994 | 0.2705 hectares per person | +9.8% |
| 1995 | 0.2302 hectares per person | -14.9% |
| 1996 | 0.2246 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.1909 hectares per person | -15.0% |
| 1998 | 0.1431 hectares per person | -25.0% |
| 1999 | 0.1462 hectares per person | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 0.2087 hectares per person | +42.8% |
| 2001 | 0.1168 hectares per person | -44.0% |
| 2002 | 0.1404 hectares per person | +20.2% |
| 2003 | 0.1098 hectares per person | -21.8% |
| 2004 | 0.1251 hectares per person | +13.9% |
| 2005 | 0.116 hectares per person | -7.2% |
| 2006 | 0.1072 hectares per person | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 0.0952 hectares per person | -11.2% |
| 2008 | 0.1431 hectares per person | +50.2% |
| 2009 | 0.1587 hectares per person | +10.9% |
| 2010 | 0.1274 hectares per person | -19.7% |
| 2011 | 0.1563 hectares per person | +22.7% |
| 2012 | 0.1352 hectares per person | -13.5% |
| 2013 | 0.1308 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 0.1851 hectares per person | +41.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1178 hectares per person | -36.3% |
| 2016 | 0.1162 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.1145 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 0.1129 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 0.1115 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 0.1099 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 0.1083 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.1066 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 0.1048 hectares per person | -1.6% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 0.1048 hectares per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1102 hectares per person, 95% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 0.1048 hectares per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1581 hectares per person, 66% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arable land use per person in Botswana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +50.2% | 0.0952 hectares per person | 0.1431 hectares per person |
| 2000 | +42.8% | 0.1462 hectares per person | 0.2087 hectares per person |
| 2014 | +41.5% | 0.1308 hectares per person | 0.1851 hectares per person |
| 2001 | -44.0% | 0.2087 hectares per person | 0.1168 hectares per person |
| 1993 | +36.0% | 0.1812 hectares per person | 0.2465 hectares per person |
| 2015 | -36.3% | 0.1851 hectares per person | 0.1178 hectares per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7071 hectares per person | 0.6814 hectares per person | 0.7558 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.5694 hectares per person | 0.4469 hectares per person | 0.6776 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3719 hectares per person | 0.3259 hectares per person | 0.4299 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2178 hectares per person | 0.1431 hectares per person | 0.3217 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1321 hectares per person | 0.0952 hectares per person | 0.2087 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1308 hectares per person | 0.1115 hectares per person | 0.1851 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1074 hectares per person | 0.1048 hectares per person | 0.1099 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 103 Iraq 0.1102 hectares per person compare
- 104 India 0.107 hectares per person compare
- 105 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.1069 hectares per person compare
- 107 Saudi Arabia 0.1018 hectares per person compare
- 108 New Zealand 0.1 hectares per person compare
- 109 Burundi 0.0965 hectares per person compare
More environment data for Botswana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 6.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 6.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.381 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.443 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -4.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.3323 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land use per person in Botswana?
- Arable land use per person in Botswana was 0.1048 hectares per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arable land use per person recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7558 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land use per person recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0952 hectares per person in 2007.
- How does Botswana rank for arable land use per person?
- Botswana ranks 106th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land use per person rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arable land use per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Arable land is defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops, temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. It is measured in hectares per person.