Botswana’s urban population rose to 68% of population in 2025.

Neither way is good in itself. A higher share can mean towns are drawing people in with jobs and services, and it can also mean pressure on housing and infrastructure. A lower share can reflect rural opportunity or weak urban growth. Both directions carry benefits and costs, so the level carries no verdict. The latest figure for Botswana is 68% of population in 2025, up from 67.5% of population a year earlier, a rise of 0.49 percentage points. Since 2016 the share has ranged from 65.7% of population to 68% of population, so the current reading sits at the top of that range.

Why it matters. A majority of Botswana's people now live in urban areas, and the share keeps edging up. Households in towns and cities depend on housing, piped water, transport and wage work, and demand for each grows with the urban population. For the state and for firms, this shapes where services, roads and utilities are planned and where customers and workers are concentrated.