Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Botswana
Botswana: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 847 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Botswana, 1968–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Botswana recorded 847 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
The figure is up 3.8% on the previous year and down 60.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Botswana peaked at 23,290 in 1979 and was at its lowest, 211, in 1996.
That places Botswana 128th out of 179 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 3,980 | — |
| 1969 | 3,600 | -9.5% |
| 1970 | 4,360 | +21.1% |
| 1971 | 8,890 | +103.9% |
| 1972 | 4,500 | -49.4% |
| 1973 | 4,500 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 2,480 | -44.9% |
| 1975 | 2,400 | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 2,840 | +18.3% |
| 1977 | 4,810 | +69.4% |
| 1978 | 19,000 | +295.0% |
| 1979 | 23,290 | +22.6% |
| 1980 | 1,300 | -94.4% |
| 1981 | 1,290 | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 1,300 | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 4,600 | +253.8% |
| 1984 | 4,970 | +8.0% |
| 1985 | 5,680 | +14.3% |
| 1986 | 4,830 | -15.0% |
| 1987 | 5,300 | +9.7% |
| 1988 | 2,325 | -56.1% |
| 1989 | 1,261 | -45.8% |
| 1990 | 1,178 | -6.6% |
| 1991 | 1,054 | -10.5% |
| 1992 | 497 | -52.8% |
| 1993 | 517 | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 503 | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 266 | -47.1% |
| 1996 | 211 | -20.7% |
| 1997 | 280 | +32.7% |
| 1998 | 2,133 | +661.8% |
| 1999 | 1,291 | -39.5% |
| 2000 | 3,549 | +174.9% |
| 2001 | 3,577 | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 2,798 | -21.8% |
| 2003 | 2,831 | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 2,831 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3,101 | +9.5% |
| 2006 | 3,154 | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 2,462 | -21.9% |
| 2008 | 3,020 | +22.7% |
| 2009 | 3,023 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 2,983 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 3,312 | +11.0% |
| 2012 | 2,784 | -15.9% |
| 2013 | 2,771 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 2,642 | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 2,127 | -19.5% |
| 2016 | 2,090 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 2,116 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 2,044 | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 1,113 | -45.5% |
| 2020 | 617 | -44.6% |
| 2021 | 688 | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 733 | +6.5% |
| 2023 | 761 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 816 | +7.2% |
| 2025 | 847 | +3.8% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 847 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,647, 18% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 847 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35,241, 2% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Botswana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +661.8% | 280 | 2,133 |
| 1978 | +295.0% | 4,810 | 19,000 |
| 1983 | +253.8% | 1,300 | 4,600 |
| 2000 | +174.9% | 1,291 | 3,549 |
| 1971 | +103.9% | 4,360 | 8,890 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,790 | 3,600 | 3,980 | 2 |
| 1970s | 7,707 | 2,400 | 23,290 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,286 | 1,261 | 5,680 | 10 |
| 1990s | 793 | 211 | 2,133 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,035 | 2,462 | 3,577 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,398 | 1,113 | 3,312 | 10 |
| 2020s | 743.67 | 617 | 847 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 125 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 1,147 compare
- 126 Philippines 1,032 compare
- 127 Liechtenstein 987 compare
- 129 Bosnia and Herzegovina 586 compare
- 130 Lesotho 478 compare
- 131 Saudi Arabia 448 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 refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Botswana?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Botswana was 847 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 23,290 in 1979.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 211 in 1996.
- How does Botswana rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Botswana ranks 128th out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.