Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Botswana
Botswana: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 12.6% in 2014. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Botswana, 1971–2014
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2014, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Botswana stood at 12.6%.
The figure is up 8.6% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Botswana peaked at 59.8% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 10.9%, in 2012.
That places Botswana 65th out of 171 countries with data for 2014, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 59.3% | — |
| 1972 | 59.8% | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 55.8% | -6.8% |
| 1974 | 54.2% | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 51.1% | -5.8% |
| 1976 | 49.1% | -4.0% |
| 1977 | 46.3% | -5.6% |
| 1978 | 45.4% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 43.7% | -3.7% |
| 1980 | 39.7% | -9.2% |
| 1989 | 22.3% | -43.8% |
| 1995 | 20.5% | -8.0% |
| 1998 | 17.5% | -14.9% |
| 1999 | 16.2% | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 15.1% | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 14.8% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 14.0% | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 10.9% | -22.4% |
| 2013 | 11.6% | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | +8.6% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 12.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9.3%, 1.4× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 12.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.6%, 49% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | -43.8% | 39.7% | 22.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 51.6% | 43.7% | 59.8% | 9 |
| 1980s | 31.0% | 22.3% | 39.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 18.0% | 16.2% | 20.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 14.0% | 15.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 11.7% | 10.9% | 12.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 62 Myanmar 12.9% compare
- 63 Palestine, State of 12.8% compare
- 64 Ukraine 12.7% compare
- 66 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 12.4% compare
- 67 Seychelles 12.4% compare
- 68 Barbados 11.9% compare
More education data for Botswana
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 15,284 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,590 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 20,760 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 20,779 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 175,513 (2021)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 381,674 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.49 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1564 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Botswana?
- Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Botswana was 12.6% in 2014, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 59.8% in 1972.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.9% in 2012.
- How does Botswana rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Botswana ranks 65th out of 171 countries with data for 2014.
- Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release