Botswana vs South Africa
Botswana vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 30.5% of GDP in Botswana and 76% of GDP in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 45.5 percentage points, or 2.49 times that in Botswana.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Botswana at 64.4% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Botswana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30.5 | 76 |
| 2023 | 22.5 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 20 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 22.3 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 23.5 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 21.5 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 19.6 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 19.6 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 22.3 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 24.5 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 23.9 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 23.8 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 26.5 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 27.9 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 26.6 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 22.4 | 27 |
| 2008 | 7.8 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 5.9 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 6.1 | 28 |
| 2005 | 7.5 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 10.8 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 7.1 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 8.4 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 7.5 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 8.2 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 9.3 | – |
| 1998 | 11.3 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Botswana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | 78.4 |
| 2026 | 40.3 | 78 |
| 2027 | 45.5 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 50 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 54.4 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 59.1 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 64.4 | 79.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- 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.
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