Botswana vs South Africa
Botswana vs South Africa: Net migration rate
Net migration rate in 2023: -2.6 per 1,000 people in Botswana and 3.6 per 1,000 people in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 6.2 per 1,000 people.
per 1,000 people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Botswana.
- In 2023, Botswana ranked 181 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts Botswana at -0.4 per 1,000 people and South Africa at 2.1 per 1,000 people in 2100.
Every year
per 1,000 people · UN
| Year | Botswana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -2.6 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | -3 | 3.7 |
| 2021 | -1.7 | 7.5 |
| 2020 | -4.8 | 6.1 |
| 2019 | -5 | 5.6 |
| 2018 | -5.1 | 5.4 |
| 2017 | -4.8 | 6 |
| 2016 | -4.6 | -15.4 |
| 2015 | -4.4 | 11.3 |
| 2014 | -4.1 | 4.9 |
| 2013 | -3.7 | 4.2 |
| 2012 | -3.1 | 4.9 |
| 2011 | -0.5 | 1.2 |
| 2010 | 2.5 | 1.3 |
| 2009 | 2.5 | 0.8 |
| 2008 | 2.2 | 0.7 |
| 2007 | 2.1 | 0.7 |
| 2006 | 2.3 | 0.7 |
| 2005 | 2.3 | 0.6 |
| 2004 | 2.4 | 1.2 |
| 2003 | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| 2002 | 2.7 | 1 |
| 2001 | 4.7 | -1.3 |
| 2000 | 5.8 | -2.9 |
| 1999 | 5.9 | -2.7 |
| 1998 | 6 | -1.8 |
| 1997 | 6.1 | -2.2 |
| 1996 | 6.1 | -4.3 |
| 1995 | 6.3 | -2.2 |
| 1994 | 6.2 | -6.1 |
| 1993 | 5.9 | 4.5 |
| 1992 | 5.8 | -1.7 |
| 1991 | 3.2 | -0.9 |
| 1990 | 2 | 6.4 |
| 1989 | 1.2 | 6.5 |
| 1988 | -0.2 | 6.4 |
| 1987 | 2.2 | 6.2 |
| 1986 | 2.2 | 6.5 |
| 1985 | 2.4 | 7 |
| 1984 | 2.2 | 8.6 |
| 1983 | 1.9 | 9.5 |
| 1982 | 1.7 | 9.3 |
| 1981 | 7.8 | 9.2 |
| 1980 | -11.6 | 8.7 |
| 1979 | 17.7 | 2 |
| 1978 | 30.6 | 2.2 |
| 1977 | 17.1 | 2.4 |
| 1976 | 15.7 | 1 |
| 1975 | 15.4 | 1.5 |
| 1974 | 12.9 | 1.5 |
| 1973 | 16.3 | 1.7 |
| 1972 | 9.5 | 1.6 |
| 1971 | -5 | 1.4 |
| 1970 | -27.2 | 2.8 |
| 1969 | -27 | 3.4 |
| 1968 | -26.9 | 3.8 |
| 1967 | -26.6 | 4 |
| 1966 | -26.2 | 3.9 |
| 1965 | -25.7 | 4.3 |
| 1964 | -7.3 | 4.1 |
| 1963 | -7.2 | 4.1 |
| 1962 | -7.5 | 4 |
| 1961 | -7.9 | 3.4 |
| 1960 | -8.4 | 1.1 |
| 1959 | -8.9 | 0.3 |
| 1958 | -9.2 | -0.9 |
| 1957 | -9.2 | -0.2 |
| 1956 | -8.7 | -0.1 |
| 1955 | -7.7 | -0.2 |
| 1954 | -6.3 | -0.2 |
| 1953 | -4.6 | -0.4 |
| 1952 | -3.1 | 0.3 |
| 1951 | -2.8 | 0.6 |
| 1950 | -2.6 | 0.7 |
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | Botswana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -2.3-14.9–8.8 | 2.6-5.3–9.8 |
| 2025 | -2.2-19.2–12.7 | 2.3-5.9–10.1 |
| 2026 | -1.6-20.9–15.2 | 2-6.3–9.5 |
| 2027 | -1.7-22.6–15.9 | 2.2-5.5–10.2 |
| 2028 | -1.3-22.8–18.2 | 2.3-5.9–10.5 |
| 2029 | -1.5-23.6–18.4 | 2.3-6.3–10.1 |
| 2030 | -1-24.4–19.7 | 2.1-5.9–10.6 |
| 2031 | -1.4-23.6–18.6 | 2.2-5.9–10.6 |
| 2032 | -1-26.5–20.3 | 2.2-6.3–10.3 |
| 2033 | -1.1-25.9–20.2 | 2.1-6–10.1 |
| 2034 | -0.9-27.3–21.2 | 2.2-6.5–10.3 |
| 2035 | -0.9-25.9–21.5 | 2.3-6.1–10.4 |
| 2036 | -0.8-25.9–22.3 | 2.2-6.2–9.6 |
| 2037 | -0.8-25.8–22.4 | 2.3-6–9.9 |
| 2038 | -0.8-25.9–22 | 2.1-5.8–10.1 |
| 2039 | -0.7-26.6–21.5 | 2-6.4–10.2 |
| 2040 | -0.8-26–22.5 | 2.1-6.3–10.2 |
| 2041 | -0.8-27–21.5 | 2.2-6.5–10.5 |
| 2042 | -1-26–24.5 | 2.2-6.4–10.9 |
| 2043 | -0.7-26.2–23.8 | 2.1-6–10.5 |
| 2044 | -0.8-26.2–23.2 | 2.1-6–10.4 |
| 2045 | -0.5-24.8–23.6 | 2.1-7–10.3 |
| 2046 | -0.2-26.3–25 | 2.3-5.5–10.9 |
| 2047 | -0.3-25–23.9 | 2.3-6.2–10.6 |
| 2048 | -0.4-25.8–23.6 | 2.1-5.9–10.4 |
| 2049 | -0.5-28–23.9 | 2.3-5.7–10.5 |
| 2050 | -0.6-28.3–24.4 | 2.3-6.2–11.1 |
| 2051 | -0.5-26.4–24.5 | 2.5-5.5–10.9 |
| 2052 | -0.3-25.9–24 | 2.2-5.9–10.8 |
| 2053 | -0.5-26.7–23.5 | 2.2-6.4–10.3 |
| 2054 | -0.7-28.8–22 | 2.3-6.1–10.2 |
| 2055 | -0.4-26.6–23.4 | 2.3-6.2–10.5 |
| 2056 | -0.5-30.2–22.2 | 2.2-5.9–10.1 |
| 2057 | -0.1-27.4–23.6 | 2.3-6.6–10.3 |
| 2058 | -0.1-27.5–24.3 | 2.4-6.3–11.1 |
| 2059 | -0.6-28–21.7 | 2.3-6.6–11 |
| 2060 | -0.4-26.9–22.1 | 2.3-5.8–10.3 |
| 2061 | -0.3-26.6–23.2 | 2.2-6.5–10.5 |
| 2062 | -0.5-25.8–23.4 | 2.3-6.2–10.3 |
| 2063 | -0.7-27.4–23 | 2.4-6.5–10.8 |
| 2064 | -0.5-26–22.4 | 2.3-6.5–10.6 |
| 2065 | -0.5-26.3–23.3 | 2.1-6.6–10.5 |
| 2066 | -0.7-26.2–23.6 | 2.2-6.1–10.5 |
| 2067 | -0.4-27–22.6 | 2.2-6.2–10.3 |
| 2068 | -0.7-26.6–22.7 | 2.1-6–10.4 |
| 2069 | -0.6-25.1–23.9 | 2.2-6.5–10.4 |
| 2070 | -1-26.3–22.4 | 2.5-5.9–11.1 |
| 2071 | -0.9-25.5–22.8 | 2.5-5.8–10.5 |
| 2072 | -0.5-26.8–23.7 | 2.1-6.6–10 |
| 2073 | -0.7-27–24 | 2.1-5.9–10 |
| 2074 | -0.6-26.8–22.3 | 2.2-6.9–11.1 |
| 2075 | -0.4-27.6–23.5 | 2.1-5.9–10.5 |
| 2076 | -0.3-26.7–24.2 | 2-6.7–9.9 |
| 2077 | -0.3-26.8–24 | 2.2-6.4–10.5 |
| 2078 | -0.2-26.6–23.3 | 2.3-5.9–10.5 |
| 2079 | -0.5-27.4–23.6 | 2.2-6.5–11 |
| 2080 | -0.6-28.2–23 | 2.3-6.8–10.5 |
| 2081 | -0.7-27.7–22.8 | 2.2-6.1–10.6 |
| 2082 | -0.3-26.5–24.5 | 2.2-6.4–10.3 |
| 2083 | -0.3-27.6–22.7 | 2.2-6.2–10.3 |
| 2084 | -0.2-27.2–23.1 | 2-6.5–10.6 |
| 2085 | -0.3-28–22.2 | 1.9-6.8–9.6 |
| 2086 | -0.2-28.3–22 | 2.1-6.3–10.8 |
| 2087 | -0.1-28.4–22.7 | 2.1-6.5–10.4 |
| 2088 | -0.2-27.4–21.7 | 2.1-6.6–9.9 |
| 2089 | -0.2-27.9–23.1 | 2.1-6.6–10.5 |
| 2090 | -0.7-28.7–21.7 | 2-7.1–10.2 |
| 2091 | -1-29.7–24.1 | 2.2-6.4–10.8 |
| 2092 | -0.7-28.3–24.9 | 2-6.9–10.4 |
| 2093 | -0.7-29.2–22.8 | 2-7.9–10.4 |
| 2094 | -0.6-28.4–24.2 | 2-7.1–10.4 |
| 2095 | -0.5-28–23.6 | 1.9-6.5–10.1 |
| 2096 | -0.5-27.5–23.6 | 1.8-6.6–10.1 |
| 2097 | -0.5-29.2–22.8 | 1.8-7.4–10.4 |
| 2098 | -0.6-30.5–22.1 | 2-6.5–10.1 |
| 2099 | -0.2-29.7–24.3 | 2-5.7–11 |
| 2100 | -0.4-27.6–23.6 | 2.1-6.2–10.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- People moving in minus people moving out in a year, per 1,000 residents; below zero, more left than arrived.
- Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Botswana vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyBotswana: 69.2 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBotswana: 3.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBotswana: 28.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBotswana: 3.97% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBotswana: 10 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBotswana: 2.48 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBotswana: 1.64% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBotswana: 2.73 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBotswana: 68% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBotswana: 22.9 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBotswana: 4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBotswana: 3.11% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBotswana: $595M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBotswana: $242 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBotswana: 8.9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBotswana: 9,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerBotswana: 0.02% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBotswana: 0.92% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBotswana: 11 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025