Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Botswana
Botswana: Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population was 97.2% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Botswana, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Botswana stood at 97.2%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Botswana peaked at 99.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 97.2%, in 2024.
That places Botswana 150th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 99.8% | — |
| 2001 | 99.7% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 99.6% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 99.5% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 99.4% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 99.3% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 99.2% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 99.1% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 99.0% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 98.9% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 98.7% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 98.6% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 98.5% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 98.4% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 98.3% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 98.2% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.1% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 98.0% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 97.9% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 97.8% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 97.7% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 97.5% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 97.4% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 97.3% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 97.2% | -0.1% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 97.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 99.7%, 97% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 97.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 96.6%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 99.4% | 98.9% | 99.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.3% | 97.8% | 98.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.4% | 97.2% | 97.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Botswana?
- Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Botswana was 97.2% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 99.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.2% in 2024.
- How does Botswana rank for using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population?
- Botswana ranks 150th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.