Water withdrawals per capita in Botswana
Botswana: Water withdrawals per capita was 88.7 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
88.7 cubic meters per person
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
144th
of 180 countries
All-time high
115.66 cubic meters per person
in 2000
All-time low
80.22 cubic meters per person
in 1985
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Botswana, 1985–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
In 2023, water withdrawals per capita in Botswana stood at 88.7 cubic meters per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Botswana peaked at 115.66 cubic meters per person in 2000 and was at its lowest, 80.22 cubic meters per person, in 1985.
Botswana ranks 144th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Botswana, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 80.22 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1986 | 80.37 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 80.52 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 80.81 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 81.18 cubic meters per person | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 81.49 cubic meters per person | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 81.76 cubic meters per person | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 81.88 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 86.71 cubic meters per person | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 91.28 cubic meters per person | +5.3% |
| 1995 | 95.67 cubic meters per person | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 99.95 cubic meters per person | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 104.12 cubic meters per person | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 108.13 cubic meters per person | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 111.99 cubic meters per person | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 115.66 cubic meters per person | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 114.48 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 113.51 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 112.67 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 111.83 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 110.94 cubic meters per person | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 108.27 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 105.59 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 102.9 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 100.22 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 97.56 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 95.1 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 92.15 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 89.27 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 86.51 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 85.24 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 90.08 cubic meters per person | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 85.14 cubic meters per person | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 88.73 cubic meters per person | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 86.61 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 93.17 cubic meters per person | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 97.28 cubic meters per person | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 87.42 cubic meters per person | -10.1% |
| 2023 | 88.7 cubic meters per person | +1.5% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 88.7 cubic meters per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 450.42 cubic meters per person, 20% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 88.7 cubic meters per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 80.62 cubic meters per person | 80.22 cubic meters per person | 81.18 cubic meters per person | 5 |
| 1990s | 94.3 cubic meters per person | 81.49 cubic meters per person | 111.99 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 109.61 cubic meters per person | 100.22 cubic meters per person | 115.66 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 89.64 cubic meters per person | 85.14 cubic meters per person | 97.56 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 91.64 cubic meters per person | 87.42 cubic meters per person | 97.28 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 141 Fiji 91.87 cubic meters per person compare
- 142 Kenya 91.26 cubic meters per person compare
- 143 Yemen 90.5 cubic meters per person compare
- 145 Guinea-Bissau 88.24 cubic meters per person compare
- 146 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 83.91 cubic meters per person compare
- 147 Ethiopia 81.96 cubic meters 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)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4736 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Botswana?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Botswana was 88.7 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 115.66 cubic meters per person in 2000.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.22 cubic meters per person in 1985.
- How does Botswana rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Botswana ranks 144th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.