Botswana vs South Africa
Botswana vs South Africa: GDP growth
GDP growth: -2.8% a year in Botswana in 2024 and 1.1% a year in South Africa in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 3.4 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2024, when it overtook Botswana.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Botswana at 4% a year and South Africa at 1.8% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Botswana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -0.7 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | -2.8 | 0.5 |
| 2023 | 3.2 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 5.5 | 2.1 |
| 2021 | 11.9 | 4.9 |
| 2020 | -8.7 | -6.2 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0.3 |
| 2018 | 4.2 | 1.6 |
| 2017 | 4.1 | 1.2 |
| 2016 | 7.2 | 0.7 |
| 2015 | -4.9 | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 5.7 | 1.4 |
| 2013 | 11.1 | 2.5 |
| 2012 | -0.2 | 2.4 |
| 2011 | 6.8 | 3.2 |
| 2010 | 10.1 | 3 |
| 2009 | -14.1 | -1.5 |
| 2008 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| 2007 | 5.8 | 5.4 |
| 2006 | 6 | 5.6 |
| 2005 | 5 | 5.3 |
| 2004 | 1.4 | 4.6 |
| 2003 | 5.4 | 2.9 |
| 2002 | 7.4 | 3.7 |
| 2001 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| 2000 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| 1999 | 8 | 2.4 |
| 1998 | -1.6 | 0.5 |
| 1997 | 7.1 | 2.6 |
| 1996 | 2.5 | 4.3 |
| 1995 | 8.5 | 3.1 |
| 1994 | -0.8 | 3.2 |
| 1993 | 4 | 1.2 |
| 1992 | -0.2 | -2.1 |
| 1991 | 6.2 | -1 |
| 1990 | 8.8 | -0.3 |
| 1989 | 4.7 | 2.4 |
| 1988 | 23.4 | 4.2 |
| 1987 | 14.9 | 2.1 |
| 1986 | 8.6 | 0 |
| 1985 | 7.7 | -1.2 |
| 1984 | 6.5 | 5.1 |
| 1983 | 10.8 | -1.8 |
| 1982 | 15.9 | -0.4 |
| 1981 | 8.2 | 5.4 |
| 1980 | 12 | 6.6 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Botswana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.4 | 1 |
| 2027 | 2.2 | 1.3 |
| 2028 | 3 | 1.5 |
| 2029 | 3.9 | 1.7 |
| 2030 | 3.9 | 1.8 |
| 2031 | 4 | 1.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Botswana vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyBotswana: 69.2 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBotswana: 3.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBotswana: 28.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBotswana: 3.97% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBotswana: 10 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBotswana: 2.48 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBotswana: 1.64% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBotswana: 2.73 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBotswana: 68% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBotswana: 22.9 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBotswana: 4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBotswana: -2.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBotswana: 3.11% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBotswana: $595M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBotswana: $242 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBotswana: 8.9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBotswana: 9,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerBotswana: 0.02% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBotswana: 0.92% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBotswana: 11 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025