Botswana Multi Topic Household Survey 2024/25
The brief presents key labour market indicators used to monitor employment and job creation in Botswana using data from the 2024/25 Botswana Multi-Topic Household Survey (BMTHS) compared with the 2015/16 BMTHS. The survey, conducted from November 2024 to November 2025, is nationally representative and collects data continuously over 12 months to capture seasonal labour market changes. The 2024/25 survey used a larger sample size, improving the reliability and precision of estimates.
The total population increased from 2,073,675 in 2015/16 to 2,368,365 in 2024/25, representing a 14.2% increase. However, BMTHS population figures are slightly lower than those from the Statistics Botswana Population and Housing Census 2022, because the survey excludes institutional populations.
The unemployment rate increased to 21.0% in 2024/25, up from 17.6% in 2015/16 among persons aged 15 years and above. Despite this, the employed population grew by 16.7%, rising from 689,528 to 804,663, largely reflecting population growth.
At the same time, the number of unemployed persons declined from 280,482 in 2015/16 to 213,437 in 2024/25. The survey also distinguishes discouraged job seekers, who are available for work but are no longer actively looking due to repeated unsuccessful attempts to find employment.