🇧🇼 Botswana: Politics & Democracy
Broadly yes — Botswana scores 52.0 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–100 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states.
Current leaders
Duma Boko
Head of State · Umbrella for Democratic Change
Democracy trend
Voting alignment
Botswana's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is Botswana a democracy?
Broadly yes — Botswana scores 52.0 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–100 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states. It ranks #59 of 179 countries in 2025.
Is democracy in Botswana improving or declining?
Botswana's V-Dem liberal democracy score has declined by 6.7 points over the past decade, standing at 52.0 in 2025 (1-year change: +5.0).
Who leads Botswana?
Duma Boko is Botswana's head of state (Umbrella for Democratic Change).