Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Botswana
Botswana: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 9,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Botswana, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Botswana is 9,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Botswana peaked at 11,000 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 4,000, in 1985.
That places Botswana 136th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 4,000 | — |
| 1986 | 4,500 | +12.5% |
| 1987 | 5,000 | +11.1% |
| 1988 | 5,500 | +10.0% |
| 1989 | 6,000 | +9.1% |
| 1990 | 6,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 7,000 | +16.7% |
| 1992 | 7,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 7,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 7,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 8,500 | +21.4% |
| 1996 | 8,500 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 8,500 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 9,500 | +11.8% |
| 1999 | 10,000 | +5.3% |
| 2000 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 10,500 | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10,000 | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 11,000 | +10.0% |
| 2006 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10,500 | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9,000 | -14.3% |
| 2016 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 9,000 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 14% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 9,000 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 56% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 5 |
| 1990s | 7,900 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,550 | 10,000 | 11,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,750 | 9,000 | 10,500 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,000 | 9,000 | 9,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More public sector data for Botswana
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 6 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Botswana?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Botswana was 9,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 11,000 in 2005.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,000 in 1985.
- How does Botswana rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- Botswana ranks 136th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.