The Statistical Yearbook is an annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics on over 200 countries and areas, compiled from sources including UN agencies and other international, national and specialized organizations. The 2016 edition contains data available to the Statistics Division as of 31 July 2016 and presents them in 26 tables on topics such as: communication; crime; development assistance; education; energy; environment; finance; gender; international merchandise trade; international tourism; labor force; national accounts; population and migration; price and production indices; and science and technology. Most tables covering the period up to 2016. Accompanying the tables are technical notes providing brief descriptions of major statistical concepts, definitions and classifications.

The world is in the midst of a poaching and illegal wildlife trade (IWT) crisis which threatens survival of many species. Poaching and IWT involves a wide range of species and has been estimated by different sources to be worth USD 7–23 Billion annually. Poaching and associated IWT are devastating populations of iconic wildlife species such as rhinos and elephants, as well as a host of lesser known ones. Botswana has enhanced its law enforcement efforts to combat poaching and IWT. The key enforcement institution is the DWNP which works closely with the Botswana Police Service (BPS) and the Botswana Defence Force (BDF). According to the DWNP, illegal off‐take has not yet become a serious threat to wildlife populations in Botswana. Statistics show that even though poaching might have led to a decline in the population of some wildlife species, some species like the elephant and the rhino have not recorded any decline. The elephant population in Botswana is estimated at approximately 200,000 which is quite impressive. Rhinos in Botswana are also experiencing an increase in numbers. The population of the southern white rhino has increased from a count of 26 in 2005 to 153 in 2014. The most targeted species for poaching and IWT in Botswana is the elephant and therefore the major focus of Botswana’s efforts to combat wildlife crime is on elephants. The year 2012 recorded the highest poaching numbers of wildlife in Botswana. The number of elephants poached rose from 22 in 2009 to 163 in 2012 and then dropped to only 4 in 2013. The number of lions poached remained very low although there was a rise from 0 in 2009 to 3 in 2013. No white rhino was poached from 2009 to 2012 and only one was poached in 2013.

Botswana has a long history of wildlife conservation dating back to 1890 when the first game protection statute was enacted. Since that time, wildlife policies and laws have been developed to address increased threats to wildlife, especially poaching and trafficking in wildlife products. Botswana now has in place various strategies and policies on wildlife conservation and management which guide the enactment of wildlife legislation. The key wildlife law is the Wildlife Conservation and National parks Act enacted in 1992. The Act sets out the institutional and administrative framework of the wildlife. There are strong provisions that strictly regulate wildlife conservation and utilization and address wildlife crime and wildlife law enforcement. Nevertheless, there are still some gaps that exist within the law that need to be sealed in order to effectively curb wildlife crime. Botswana is quite robust in adopting international standards to address wildlife crime and has enacted legislation to stop illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products and deter profiting from wildlife crime by confiscating proceeds of crime and criminalizing money laundering. Legislation to curb corruption among public officials, including those who deal with wildlife matters, is in place and its rigorous enforcement has led to Botswana being one of the least corrupt countries in Africa. The effectiveness of the wildlife legislation in Botswana cannot be accurately gauged as there is little information on the number of wildlife crimes committed and the conviction rates of wildlife offenders.