Share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana
Botswana: Share of cereals allocated to human food was 61.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana stood at 61.1%.
The figure is up 14.3% on the previous year and up 57.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana peaked at 98.9% in 1968 and was at its lowest, 28.0%, in 2015.
Botswana ranks 95th of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 96.9% | — |
| 1962 | 97.0% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 97.2% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 97.3% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 97.4% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 97.4% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 98.8% | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 98.9% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 98.8% | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 94.6% | -4.3% |
| 1971 | 95.1% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 95.2% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 96.0% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 96.0% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 96.3% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 94.5% | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 95.9% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 94.0% | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 94.4% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 93.8% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 92.7% | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 93.0% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 94.5% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 92.3% | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 92.3% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 93.7% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 94.7% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 94.0% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 93.8% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 94.3% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 93.2% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 96.8% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 97.0% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 97.5% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 98.0% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 98.5% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 98.0% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 98.0% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 97.9% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 98.4% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 98.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 96.9% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 98.0% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 98.0% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 98.0% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 98.2% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 98.1% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 97.7% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 98.1% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 29.8% | -69.6% |
| 2011 | 47.9% | +60.7% |
| 2012 | 53.1% | +10.7% |
| 2013 | 38.8% | -26.8% |
| 2014 | 36.6% | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 28.0% | -23.5% |
| 2016 | 31.5% | +12.6% |
| 2017 | 41.3% | +31.0% |
| 2018 | 30.6% | -25.8% |
| 2019 | 31.9% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 82.9% | +159.8% |
| 2021 | 49.4% | -40.5% |
| 2022 | 53.4% | +8.2% |
| 2023 | 61.1% | +14.3% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 61.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.5%, 1.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 61.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 88.3%, 69% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +159.8% | 31.9% | 82.9% |
| 2010 | -69.6% | 98.1% | 29.8% |
| 2011 | +60.7% | 29.8% | 47.9% |
| 2021 | -40.5% | 82.9% | 49.4% |
| 2017 | +31.0% | 31.5% | 41.3% |
| 2013 | -26.8% | 53.1% | 38.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 97.7% | 96.9% | 98.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 95.2% | 94.0% | 96.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 93.5% | 92.3% | 94.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 96.9% | 93.2% | 98.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 98.0% | 96.9% | 98.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.0% | 28.0% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.7% | 49.4% | 82.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More agriculture & rural data for Botswana
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0178 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 138.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0839 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3204 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana?
- Share of cereals allocated to human food in Botswana was 61.1% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of cereals allocated to human food recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 98.9% in 1968.
- What is the lowest share of cereals allocated to human food recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.0% in 2015.
- How does Botswana rank for share of cereals allocated to human food?
- Botswana ranks 95th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of cereals allocated to human food rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of cereals allocated to human food. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of cereals available for domestic use – after accounting for trade – that is allocated to direct human consumption, relative to the total used for human food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. This excludes cereals used for seed, processing, and losses.