Country Resource - Botswana
- Population.....................................................................2,417,596 (2023 est.)
- Population growth rate ......................................................1.37% (2023 est.)
- Birth rate....................................................19.95 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Death rate...............................................8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Net migration rate............................2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Ethnic groups.................Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%
CIA World Factbook
Botswana has rapidly evolved from a migrant sending country to a migrant receiving country, according to Kate Lefko-Everett of the Southern Africa Migration Project.
Recent Activity
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner since 2009, and as commerce and investment have increased, so have flows of people in both directions. With an estimated 1 million to 2 million Chinese migrants across Africa, some countries have relaxed their short-term visa requirements in hopes of facilitating cultural and business exchanges. High levels of Chinese investment do not, however, correlate with more liberal visa policies, as this article explores.
From earthquakes to drought, natural disasters and climate change played a key role in migration flows in 2015. Climate-induced migration surfaced as a concern at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (known as COP21) as international organizations and policymakers have begun to recognize the growing challenges, and potential protection obligations, of such movement.
Botswana has rapidly evolved from a migrant sending country to a migrant receiving country, according to Kate Lefko-Everett of the Southern Africa Migration Project.
