This paper is based on the Botswana Demographic Survey (2006), and the 2001 and 2011 Population
and Housing Censuses (PHC) data. The 2011 census allows us to estimate the past and current levels
of infant and childhood mortality. The paper explores whether there still exist mortality differentials
between the urban and the rural areas. The data shows that infants and children in the urban areas enjoy
higher chances of survival than their rural counterparts. The paper also explores at national and district
level whether the girl child enjoys relatively higher chances of survival than the boy child as shown by
fi ndings from previous censuses.