Botswana
Government debt in Botswana
Government debt in Botswana: 11.3% of GDP in 1998 and 30.5% of GDP in 2024, by IMF estimates.
- Latest, 2024
- 30.5% of GDP
- Since 1998
- +19.2 percentage points
- Projected, 2031
- 64.4% of GDP
- IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 64.4% of GDP in 2031.
- The highest was 30.5% of GDP in 2024, the lowest 5.9% of GDP in 2007.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Botswana |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 30.5 |
| 2023 | 22.5 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2021 | 22.3 |
| 2020 | 23.5 |
| 2019 | 21.5 |
| 2018 | 19.6 |
| 2017 | 19.6 |
| 2016 | 22.3 |
| 2015 | 24.5 |
| 2014 | 23.9 |
| 2013 | 23.8 |
| 2012 | 26.5 |
| 2011 | 27.9 |
| 2010 | 26.6 |
| 2009 | 22.4 |
| 2008 | 7.8 |
| 2007 | 5.9 |
| 2006 | 6.1 |
| 2005 | 7.5 |
| 2004 | 10.8 |
| 2003 | 7.1 |
| 2002 | 8.4 |
| 2001 | 7.5 |
| 2000 | 8.2 |
| 1999 | 9.3 |
| 1998 | 11.3 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Botswana |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 |
| 2026 | 40.3 |
| 2027 | 45.5 |
| 2028 | 50 |
| 2029 | 54.4 |
| 2030 | 59.1 |
| 2031 | 64.4 |
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 in numbers
Every measure for Botswana on one page
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Military
- Military spending3.11% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$595M in 2025
- Military spending per person$242 in 2025
- Military share of state spending8.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel9,000 people in 2020
- National power0.02% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports11 million TIV in 2024