Share of students studying abroad in Botswana
Botswana: Share of students studying abroad was 5.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of students studying abroad in Botswana, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of students studying abroad in Botswana stood at 5.1%.
That represents a change of up 11.5% on the previous year and down 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Botswana peaked at 57.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2022.
That places Botswana 97th out of 175 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of students studying abroad in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 23.5% | — |
| 1999 | 24.8% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 27.6% | +11.3% |
| 2001 | 51.5% | +86.9% |
| 2002 | 57.6% | +11.9% |
| 2003 | 52.2% | -9.3% |
| 2004 | 52.3% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 47.9% | -8.3% |
| 2006 | 37.4% | -22.0% |
| 2007 | 32.8% | -12.1% |
| 2008 | 24.1% | -26.6% |
| 2009 | 18.8% | -21.9% |
| 2010 | 19.3% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 17.9% | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 9.6% | -46.3% |
| 2013 | 6.9% | -28.0% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | -14.4% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | +12.3% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | -13.2% |
| 2019 | 5.1% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | -9.2% |
| 2021 | 4.7% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 5.1% | +11.5% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 5.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 1.0× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 5.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.6%, 78% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of students studying abroad 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +86.9% | 27.6% | 51.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.1% | 23.5% | 24.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 40.2% | 18.8% | 57.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.1% | 5.1% | 19.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
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 share of students studying abroad in Botswana?
- Share of students studying abroad in Botswana was 5.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students studying abroad recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 57.6% in 2002.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2022.
- How does Botswana rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Botswana ranks 97th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.5%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students studying abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of a country's tertiary level students studying abroad as international students. International students are those that move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.