🇧🇼 Republic of Botswana
Visiting: High Risk
Botswana is safe with caveats. LGBT rights are solid, ranking 54th, and freedom is only partly protected, at 61st. Its weak spot is violent crime, which is common, placed 157th. There is some exposure to conflict, ranking 64th, women's safety is fair, at 113th, and the roads are hazardous, placed 121st.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Botswana: 13.0
Ranked 24th in the world for the highest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Thirteen killings per 100,000 people a year is past the ten that marks the deadliest countries, the line the WHO calls an epidemic of violence.
Is it safe to visit?
Take it seriously. 322 killings in 2023, more than twice the world average rate.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
Botswana: 16.5
Ranked 60th in the world for the deadliest roads.
Why this rank?
Sixteen and a half deaths per 100,000 people a year is just above the world average of fifteen.
Is it safe to visit?
Not safe. Above the world average, and a quarter of those who die are on foot.
Conflict
Conflict deaths inside the country in the last twelve months, as recorded by the Uppsala conflict database, civilians killed on purpose, and any UN sanctions or court order over a war. The worst of those sets the colour. Lower is better.
Botswana: 1.07
Ranked 64th least conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
Nothing in twenty-five years. The last conflict death the Uppsala conflict database records in Botswana was in April 1990.
Is it safe to visit?
Nothing to think about. Nothing has ever come near it.
Freedom
Six freedoms rated 0–4 by Freedom House — protest, speech, press, religion, movement and due process. The weakest rating sets the colour, and the total places the country inside it — higher is better.
Botswana: 7.02
Ranked 61st freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In Botswana the lowest is press at 2. Total 19 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
One of Africa's more stable democracies, with a first change of ruling party in 2024. The weak spot is the press, which faces hostile lawsuits and restrictive laws.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Botswana: 5.3
Ranked 54th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
The High Court struck down the sodomy laws in 2019 and the appeal court upheld it in 2021. Law and opinion both score in the fifties, which is good for the region.
Is it safe to visit?
Fine, with the usual discretion. Advocacy groups work in the open and the rulings shifted the public conversation.
Women's Safety
Women's safety — feeling safe out at night, political violence against women, a fair hearing in court, and how normal violence at home is, with the night figure setting a floor on the colour — higher is better.
Botswana: 6.75
Ranked 68th least safe country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
The courts rate well and no attacks on women are recorded. Only 27 percent of women feel safe walking alone at night, and partner violence in the past year is seventeen percent.
Is it safe to visit?
Take care as a woman travelling alone in Botswana.