Freedom Score in Botswana
Botswana: Freedom Score was 75 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Freedom Score in Botswana, 2002–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, freedom score in Botswana stood at 75.
The figure is up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom score in Botswana peaked at 82 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 72, in 2016.
Botswana ranks 74th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Freedom Score in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 82 | — |
| 2003 | 82 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 82 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 78 | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 78 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 79 | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 78 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 75 | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 75 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 75 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 74 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 74 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 73 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 73 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 72 | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 72 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 72 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 72 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 72 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 72 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 72 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 72 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 75 | +4.2% |
| 2025 | 75 | +0.0% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 75 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 61.5, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 75 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 79.25 | 75 | 82 | 8 |
| 2010s | 73.2 | 72 | 75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 73 | 72 | 75 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
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 score in Botswana?
- Freedom score in Botswana was 75 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom score recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 82 in 2002.
- What is the lowest freedom score recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 72 in 2016.
- How does Botswana rank for freedom score?
- Botswana ranks 74th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom score rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Freedom House's total democracy score is a 0-to-100 aggregate that adds up a country's points on 25 indicators of political rights (max 40) and civil liberties (max 60), creating a single snapshot of the freedoms people actually enjoy.