Statistics Botswana recorded 14,037 deaths in 2024, up 3.9 percent from 2023, with non-communicable diseases accounting for most deaths.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Botswana recorded 14,037 deaths in 2024, a 3.9 percent increase from the 13,508 deaths registered in 2023 and the highest figure captured in the latest mortality statistics.
The Botswana Causes of Mortality, 2024 Annual Report by Statistics Botswana shows that non-communicable diseases now account for most deaths, even as infectious diseases, accidents and violence continue to claim thousands of lives.
Chronic Diseases
Non-communicable diseases accounted for 60.1 percent of all deaths in 2024, compared with 26.8 percent attributed to communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions. Injuries accounted for 13.1 percent.
Diseases of the circulatory system were the leading cause of death at 12.3 percent, followed by neoplasms, including cancers, at 11.7 percent. Certain infectious and parasitic diseases accounted for 10.7 percent.
HIV/AIDS, cerebrovascular diseases and nephritis and nephrosis also remained among the leading causes of death.
HIV Burden
Despite years of prevention and treatment interventions, HIV/AIDS continues to account for a significant share of deaths, particularly among people aged 35 to 64.
Children under five accounted for 9.1 percent of all deaths. Birth asphyxia, low birth weight and diarrhoeal diseases were among the prominent causes in this age group.
Age Patterns
People aged 85 years and above accounted for 16.6 percent of all deaths, the largest share among the age groups. Women aged 85 and above recorded roughly twice as many deaths as men.
Road traffic accidents were particularly prominent among younger people, while HIV/AIDS featured strongly among those aged 35 to 64. Men recorded higher mortality from road traffic accidents and homicides than women.
Accidents, Violence
Non-natural causes accounted for 13.9 percent of all deaths in 2024, with people aged 35 to 39 the most affected age group.
Road traffic accidents accounted for 27.6 percent of non-natural deaths, followed by other forms of violence at 10.9 percent and self-inflicted injuries at 8.1 percent.
Maternal Mortality
Botswana also remains above the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Statistics Botswana reports that the maternal mortality ratio fell to 127 in 2015 before rising to 240 in 2021.
Urban Burden
Gaborone accounted for 15.9 percent of all recorded deaths, followed by Francistown at 11.0 percent and Kweneng East at 10.6 percent.
NCD Risk
The rise in overall deaths comes despite a decline in the probability of dying from a non-communicable disease between ages 30 and 70. Statistics Botswana says the probability fell from 12.4 percent in 2022 to 10.7 percent in 2024.