Botswana is running out of young people

Botswana has spent decades worrying about how to create enough jobs for its young population. The country may soon have a different problem – not enough young people.

The shift is easy to miss because it is happening slowly, one family at a time. But the numbers point to a potentially profound change.

According to Statistics Botswana 2024 Vital Statistics Report, Botswana’s total fertility rate (TF) has fallen to 1.96 children per woman, below the widely used replacement-level benchmark of 2.1.

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