Photo: Joachim Huber derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Botswana: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Botswana is placed 147th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 54.91 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 6.49 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
147th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Botswana on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Botswana’s is from 2015 · CC BY 4.0
54.91
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Botswana: 54.91. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Southern Africa
- 44.88 Lesotho
- Land neighbours
- Namibia 59.07 · South Africa 54.05 · Zimbabwe 50.26
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Botswana’s is from 2015 · CC BY 4.0
6.49
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Botswana: 6.49. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Southern Africa
- 5.1 South Africa
- Land neighbours
- Namibia 8.45 · South Africa 5.1 · Zimbabwe 19.02
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
59.9
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Botswana: 59.9. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Southern Africa
- 47.9 Namibia
- Land neighbours
- Namibia 47.9 · South Africa 57.9
02Over time
Which way Botswana is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
BotswanaWorld median
Botswana fell from 61.54 in 2002 to 54.91 in 2015; the world median went from 37.14 to 35.52.
Every year’s figures
Year Botswana World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 — 34.04 2020 — 34.18 2019 — 33.51 2018 — 35.25 2017 — 34.86 2016 — 34.47 2015 55 35.52 2014 — 34.79 2013 — 36.16 2012 — 35.40 2011 — 33.96 2010 — 33.71 2009 57 34.91 2008 — 34.60 2007 — 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 — 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 — 35.46 2002 62 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
BotswanaWorld median
Botswana fell from 13.43 in 2002 to 6.49 in 2015; the world median went from 3.01 to 0.5.
Every year’s figures
Year Botswana World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 — 0.335 2020 — 0.280 2019 — 0.380 2018 — 0.460 2017 — 0.300 2016 — 0.440 2015 6 0.500 2014 — 0.635 2013 — 0.515 2012 — 0.640 2011 — 0.430 2010 — 0.530 2009 7 0.600 2008 — 0.350 2007 — 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 — 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 — 1.650 2002 13 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
BotswanaWorld median
Botswana fell from 61.9 in 2017 to 59.9 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Botswana World median 2025 59.9 26.40 2024 59.0 27.10 2023 58.7 27.15 2022 58.7 27.90 2021 59.2 29.65 2020 59.5 31.80 2019 59.4 29.05 2018 60.0 29.85 2017 61.9 32.40
03In context
Botswana beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Botswana and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Namibia | 143rd | 59.07 | 8.45 | 47.9 |
 South Africa | 145th | 54.05 | 5.1 | 57.9 |
| Botswana | 147th | 54.91 | 6.49 | 59.9 |
 Zimbabwe | 155th | 50.26 | 19.02 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Botswana in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Botswana is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median2
Statistics on which Botswana does better than the middle country measured.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.2620.413▼ Worsened since 2013
Botswana: 0.262 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 115th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.6526.0518.65No earlier reading
Botswana: 26.05 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Behind the world median12
Statistics on which Botswana does worse than the middle country measured.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.0730.039▼ Worsened since 2020
Botswana: 0.073 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 49th of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,8008,64612,800▲ Improved since 2017
Botswana: 8,646 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 108th of 173 · derived.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.88514.284.885No real change since 2015
Botswana: 14.28 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.5090.609No real change since 2015
Botswana: 0.509 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 110th of 169 · derived.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.25225.64.252No earlier reading
Botswana: 25.6 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 48th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0529.3317.05▲ Improved since 2015
Botswana: 29.33 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 45th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.118.322.1▼ Worsened since 2014
Botswana: 18.32 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.5190.446No earlier reading
Botswana: 0.519 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 37th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.95220.9No real change since 2015
Botswana: 52 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 26th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.350.25No real change since 2014
Botswana: 0.35 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Low Pay RateILO · 2024 · world median 17.8935.4617.89No real change since 2019
Botswana: 35.46 · world median 17.89 · Employees paid less than two-thirds of the median hourly earnings (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.395 to 41.69; lower is better.
Position 6th of 71 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gini Index of Monthly EarningsILO · 2024 · world median 0.3370.6210.337No real change since 2019
Botswana: 0.621 · world median 0.337 · Gini index of employees’ monthly earnings (0 = all paid the same, 1 = maximum inequality). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.182 to 0.643; lower is better.
Position 2nd of 75 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.554.444.55Moved since 2017
Botswana: 4.44 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.816.121.8No earlier reading
Botswana: 16.1 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.881.0036.88No earlier reading
Botswana: 1.003 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
No current reading for Botswana
Gini Index (last 2015), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2015), Income Growth of the Poorest 40% (last 2020), Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2015), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2015), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2015), Palma Ratio (last 2015), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2015), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2015), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2015), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2015), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2015), Prosperity Gap (last 2015), Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate (last 2015) and Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Botswana’s 15 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Botswana’s 14th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Peace & Security52nd of 1774/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability55th of 1863/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties61st of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions65th of 1944/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience98th of 1934/4 keys
- Education & Knowledgejoint 102nd of 1983/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 109th of 1983/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation105th of 1764/4 keys
- Gender & Equality121st of 1834/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture134th of 1844/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital143rd of 1963/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing157th of 2003/4 keys
- Work & Labour162nd of 1824/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality147th of 1593/3 keys
- Energy158th of 1653/3 keys
No standing on Mobility & Trade: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Botswana can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Tunisia43rd3/3 keysHighest in Southern Africa
Namibia143rd3/3 keysThis page
Botswana147th3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Botswana on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Botswana rank on poverty & inequality?
Botswana is placed 147th of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Botswana?
54.91 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Botswana?
6.49 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Botswana compare with South Africa on poverty & inequality?
South Africa is placed 145th of 159, and Botswana 147th. Gini Index: South Africa 54.05, Botswana 54.91; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: South Africa 5.1, Botswana 6.49; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: South Africa 57.9, Botswana 59.9.
How have Botswana’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 61.54 in 2002 to 54.91 in 2015; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 13.43 in 2002 to 6.49 in 2015; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 61.9 in 2017 to 59.9 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Botswana?
No current reading is published for Botswana on Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate and Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 6 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Botswana’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Botswana (banner) — Joachim Huber derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Botswana: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/botswana/poverty