Where Batswana move
16.7K Batswana live abroad — #184 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from Botswana? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 82% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 8004 |
| Zimbabwe | 3985 |
| Australia | 1736 |
| Zambia | 1498 |
| Namibia | 731 |
| Lesotho | 247 |
| Tanzania | 136 |
| Norway | 131 |
| Denmark | 79 |
| Guinea | 44 |
| Eswatini | 39 |
| Bulgaria | 36 |
| Finland | 22 |
| Hungary | 14 |
| Bahamas | 14 |
| Cyprus | 6 |
| Greece | 5 |
| Slovakia | 2 |
| Slovenia | 1 |
| Luxembourg | 1 |
| Latvia | 0 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 88%
14.7K
1.7K
291
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Botswana.
South Africa is the primary destination for emigrants
South Africa attracts 48% of all emigrants from Botswana, while the second-largest destination receives just 24%.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 79% to 48%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
The share of emigrants going to Africa has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Africa has shifted from 99.2% to 87.8% since 1990.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 23982 |
| 1995 | 17487 |
| 2000 | 22155 |
| 2005 | 22158 |
| 2010 | 19869 |
| 2015 | 18161 |
| 2020 | 17397 |
| 2024 | 16731 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Australia | Zambia | Namibia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19046 | 2945 | 115 | 469 | 975 |
| 1995 | 12829 | 2924 | 185 | 228 | 932 |
| 2000 | 16026 | 4012 | 670 | 111 | 865 |
| 2005 | 15535 | 4134 | 973 | 319 | 683 |
| 2010 | 12922 | 3705 | 1120 | 918 | 658 |
| 2015 | 11016 | 3725 | 1327 | 808 | 644 |
| 2020 | 9435 | 3865 | 1599 | 1130 | 689 |
| 2024 | 8004 | 3985 | 1736 | 1498 | 731 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Botswana as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Botswana