Life Expectancy in Botswana (2024): Men 66.8, Women 71.9

Life expectancy in Botswana since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Botswana has risen by 18.1 years, from 51.2 to 69.3. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 3.9 years (from 67.2 in 2019 to 63.3 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 5.1 years longer than men (71.9 vs 66.8).

Expected age at death in Botswana by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	66.8	69.6	70.7	74.0	83.8
Women	71.9	74.9	75.8	78.2	85.8

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Botswana’s figures (method).

How people die in Botswana

Chronic diseases: 39.7%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 52.1%
Injuries: 8.1%

In 2019, 40% of deaths in Botswana were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Botswana man has a 18% chance and a woman 20% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 26.4 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Botswana, about 33.3 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Botswana compared with its region

Botswana is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #5 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
1	Seychelles	76.3	72.1	80.7
2	Cape Verde	76.2	73.1	79.4
3	Mauritius	73.8	70.4	77.4
4	São Tomé and Príncipe	69.9	66.4	73.9
5	Botswana	69.3	66.8	71.9
6	Eritrea	68.9	66.8	70.9
7	Senegal	68.9	67.0	71.0
8	Mauritania	68.7	66.7	70.7
9	Gabon	68.5	66.1	71.2

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Botswana?

69.3 years in 2024: 66.8 for men and 71.9 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Botswana?

Yes. Women in Botswana live about 5.1 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Botswana rank for life expectancy?

Botswana ranks #158 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 4.2 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Botswana?

Life expectancy at birth (69.3) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Botswana can expect to live to about 70.7, and a 40-year-old woman to about 75.8.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.