Freedom of Association Score in Botswana
Botswana: Freedom of Association Score was 8 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Freedom of Association Score in Botswana, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 8 for freedom of association score in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of association score in Botswana peaked at 9 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 8, in 2015.
That places Botswana 22nd out of 128 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Freedom of Association Score in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9 | — |
| 2007 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8 | -11.1% |
| 2017 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 8 | +0.0% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 8 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6, 1.3× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 8 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4, 2.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 3 |
| 2010s | 8.4 | 8 | 9 | 5 |
| 2020s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 22 Armenia 8 compare
- 22 Bolivia 8 compare
- 22 Bulgaria 8 compare
- 22 Ghana 8 compare
- 22 Lesotho 8 compare
- 22 Liberia 8 compare
- 22 Malawi 8 compare
- 22 Mauritius 8 compare
- 22 Namibia 8 compare
- 22 Papua New Guinea 8 compare
- 22 Romania 8 compare
- 22 Senegal 8 compare
- 22 South Africa 8 compare
- 22 Ukraine 8 compare
More social development data for Botswana
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 847 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 384 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 384 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of association score in Botswana?
- Freedom of association score in Botswana was 8 in 2025, according to Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of association score recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 9 in 2005.
- What is the lowest freedom of association score recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 8 in 2015.
- How does Botswana rank for freedom of association score?
- Botswana ranks 22nd out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of association score rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Association Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Indicates the extent to which residents and civic groups are free from government interference to associate and assemble.