Current account balance in Botswana
Botswana: Current account balance was -4.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Botswana, 1975–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, current account balance in Botswana stood at -4.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 386.2% on the previous year and down 138.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Botswana peaked at 32.0% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -28.3%, in 1981.
Botswana ranks 139th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | -10.0% | — |
| 1976 | -5.5% | -45.4% |
| 1977 | -6.0% | +9.1% |
| 1978 | -19.6% | +227.9% |
| 1979 | -7.4% | -62.2% |
| 1980 | -14.2% | +92.6% |
| 1981 | -28.3% | +98.6% |
| 1982 | -14.2% | -49.6% |
| 1983 | -6.7% | -52.7% |
| 1984 | -4.7% | -29.7% |
| 1985 | 7.4% | -255.2% |
| 1986 | 7.8% | +6.2% |
| 1987 | 32.0% | +309.8% |
| 1988 | 7.3% | -77.1% |
| 1989 | 16.0% | +117.5% |
| 1990 | -0.5% | -103.2% |
| 1991 | 7.7% | -1609.3% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | -37.9% |
| 1993 | 10.3% | +115.2% |
| 1994 | 5.2% | -49.3% |
| 1995 | 6.3% | +21.7% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | +61.2% |
| 1997 | 14.4% | +40.7% |
| 1998 | 3.5% | -75.3% |
| 1999 | 10.6% | +200.3% |
| 2000 | 9.4% | -11.5% |
| 2001 | 10.8% | +15.1% |
| 2002 | 4.8% | -55.3% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | +97.1% |
| 2004 | 3.5% | -62.9% |
| 2005 | 16.1% | +355.4% |
| 2006 | 19.7% | +22.1% |
| 2007 | 15.7% | -20.4% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | -91.1% |
| 2009 | -6.4% | -559.7% |
| 2010 | -5.9% | -8.1% |
| 2011 | -0.9% | -85.2% |
| 2012 | -5.9% | +576.1% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | -176.8% |
| 2014 | 11.1% | +144.4% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | -79.9% |
| 2016 | 8.0% | +258.1% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | -29.9% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -93.0% |
| 2019 | -6.9% | -1857.3% |
| 2020 | -9.8% | +42.0% |
| 2021 | -1.8% | -82.0% |
| 2022 | -0.6% | -66.3% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | -350.0% |
| 2024 | -4.3% | -386.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -9.7% | -19.6% | -5.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | -28.3% | 32.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.3% | -0.5% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.5% | -6.4% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | -6.9% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.0% | -9.8% | 1.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 136 Gambia -4.1% compare
- 137 Solomon Islands -4.2% compare
- 138 Madagascar -4.3% compare
- 140 North Macedonia -4.3% compare
- 141 Mali -4.3% compare
- 142 Congo, Democratic Republic of the -4.3% compare
More economy & growth data for Botswana
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.98 Percent per annum (2029)
- Services, value added (constant LCU), per capita 48,884 constant LCU per person (2025)
- GDP deflator (base year varies by country), annual growth rate 3.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 3.27 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9429 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 7,334 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 2.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 12.73 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 99,027 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Botswana?
- Current account balance in Botswana was -4.3% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 32.0% in 1987.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was -28.3% in 1981.
- How does Botswana rank for current account balance?
- Botswana ranks 139th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 138.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.