Data sourced:
2022.
Page updated:
2025-01-24
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older in Botswana was estimated to be 14.7% as of 2022. This figure reflects a slight increase from 14.4% in 2020 but remains significantly lower than 18.9% reported in 2019. In terms of gender-specific prevalence in 2022, males had a higher smoking rate of 26.4%, while females had a considerably lower rate of 3.4%. These figures have shown a gradual decline from previous years, where smoking prevalence among men was 33.3% in 2019 and 26.5% in 2020, and the prevalence among females was 4.5% in 2019 and 3.6% in 2020. Additionally, the number of smokers in the country was estimated at 234,642 in 2022, representing an increase from 218,774 in 2020 but a decrease from 279,691 in 2019. The adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence in 2017 was estimated to be 9.9%, with 18.2% among males and 2.2% among females.
Tobacco smoking-related mortality data in Botswana, from 2021 indicates that smoking accounts for 4.23% of all deaths, with 909 male and 278 female deaths, totaling 1,188 deaths. This data underscores the ongoing challenge of tobacco smoking in the country, with a gender disparity in smoking prevalence and a persistent public health impact.
Prevalence
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 279.7 thousand | 1A |
| 2020 | 218.8 thousand | 1B |
| 2022 | 234.6 thousand | 1C A |
References:
- 1. WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition. 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- 1. WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- 1. WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
Comments:
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%). World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 18.9% | 2A |
| 2020 | 14.4% | 2B |
| 2022 | 14.7% | 2C A |
References:
- WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
- WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
Comments:
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4.5% | 2A |
| 2020 | 3.6% | 2B |
| 2022 | 3.4% | 2C A |
References:
- WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
- WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
Comments:
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 33.3% | 2A |
| 2020 | 26.5% | 2B |
| 2022 | 26.4% | 2C A |
References:
- WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition. (2019). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-global-report-on-trends-in-prevalence-of-tobacco-use-2000-2025-third-edition.
- WHO. (2021). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, fourth edition (4th ed). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/348537
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
Comments:
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
136.3 thousand
3
C
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 or earlier | 9.9% | 4A A |
| 2017 | 9.9% | 4B B |
References:
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2017. Available at:https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=1
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2017; National, ages 15+. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
Comments:
- GATS was conducted for the first time in 2017 as a household survey of persons 15 years of age and older.A multi-stage, geographically clustered sample design was used to produce nationally representative data. There were a total of 4643 completed individual interviews.
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 or earlier | 2.2% | 4A A |
| 2017 | 2.2% | 4B B |
References:
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2017. Available at:https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=1
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2017; National, ages 15+. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
Comments:
- GATS was conducted for the first time in 2017 as a household survey of persons 15 years of age and older.A multi-stage, geographically clustered sample design was used to produce nationally representative data. There were a total of 4643 completed individual interviews.
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 or earlier | 18.2% | 4A A |
| 2017 | 18.2% | 4B B |
References:
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2017. Available at:https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=1
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2017; National, ages 15+. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
Comments:
- GATS was conducted for the first time in 2017 as a household survey of persons 15 years of age and older.A multi-stage, geographically clustered sample design was used to produce nationally representative data. There were a total of 4643 completed individual interviews.
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
References:
- 1. WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283 2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- WHO. (2024). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088283
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2017. Available at:https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=1
- Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2017; National, ages 15+. Cited in WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Country profile.
Comments:
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%). World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- Current tobacco smoking rates among people aged 15 years and older, 2022 estimates. Crude adjusted prevalence (%).
- GATS was conducted for the first time in 2017 as a household survey of persons 15 years of age and older.A multi-stage, geographically clustered sample design was used to produce nationally representative data. There were a total of 4643 completed individual interviews.
- Prevalence of daily tobacco smoking from the latest survey.
Smoking-related mortality
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.6 thousand | 1A |
| 2021 | 1.2 thousand | 1B A |
References:
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 419 | 1A |
| 2021 | 278 | 1B A |
References:
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.1 thousand | 1A |
| 2021 | 909 | 1B A |
References:
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 9.64% | 1A |
| 2021 | 4.23% | 1B A |
References:
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5.7% | 1A |
| 2021 | 2.2% | 1B A |
References:
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 11.1% | 1A |
| 2021 | 5.9% | 1B A |
References:
- The Tobacco Atlas. Available at: https://tobaccoatlas.org/topic/deaths/ Data source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators.
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
References:
- Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Comments:
- Number of tobacco-related deaths in the population in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
- Percentage of tobacco-related deaths to deaths from all causes in 2021 by gender for all age groups. Tobacco-related mortality includes smoking tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and second-hand smoke.
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