Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Botswana
Botswana: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas was 96.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Botswana, 1991–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 96.7% for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in 2024.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 25.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Botswana peaked at 97.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 1991.
That places Botswana 165th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.4% | 17.5% | 36.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 50.0% | 37.0% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.0% | 68.2% | 88.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.7% | 90.6% | 97.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More energy & mining data for Botswana
- Fuel imports 20.5% (2023)
- Ores and metals imports 0.7% (2023)
- Ores and metals exports 10.7% (2023)
- Gas production 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel exports 0.7% (2023)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 20.6% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 67.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Botswana?
- Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Botswana was 96.7% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 97.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 1991.
- How does Botswana rank for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
- Botswana ranks 165th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The definition used in international statistics adopts a very low cutoff for what it means to ‘have access to electricity’. It is defined as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.