External balance on goods and services in Botswana
Botswana: External balance on goods and services was -5.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Botswana, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Botswana recorded -5.5% for external balance on goods and services in 2025.
That represents a change of up 64.2% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Botswana peaked at 26.7% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -39.9%, in 1968.
Botswana ranks 112th of 193 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.
External balance on goods and services in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -13.4% | — |
| 1961 | -15.3% | +14.5% |
| 1962 | -16.9% | +10.5% |
| 1963 | -18.4% | +8.5% |
| 1964 | -19.8% | +7.7% |
| 1965 | -18.9% | -4.4% |
| 1966 | -21.7% | +14.7% |
| 1967 | -26.2% | +20.7% |
| 1968 | -39.9% | +52.5% |
| 1969 | -29.8% | -25.3% |
| 1970 | -36.3% | +21.7% |
| 1971 | -28.4% | -21.6% |
| 1972 | -23.2% | -18.5% |
| 1973 | -23.1% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | -23.9% | +3.1% |
| 1975 | -20.2% | -15.3% |
| 1976 | -15.9% | -21.1% |
| 1977 | -18.4% | +15.5% |
| 1978 | -16.5% | -10.6% |
| 1979 | -11.1% | -32.4% |
| 1980 | -13.4% | +20.3% |
| 1981 | -21.8% | +63.1% |
| 1982 | -14.7% | -32.6% |
| 1983 | -0.5% | -96.7% |
| 1984 | 2.8% | -690.9% |
| 1985 | 15.1% | +428.6% |
| 1986 | 19.2% | +27.5% |
| 1987 | 26.7% | +39.0% |
| 1988 | 26.6% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 13.1% | -50.8% |
| 1990 | 5.3% | -59.8% |
| 1991 | 6.5% | +23.5% |
| 1992 | 6.6% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 8.0% | +20.8% |
| 1994 | 7.5% | -6.5% |
| 1995 | 7.1% | -5.2% |
| 1996 | 16.7% | +136.0% |
| 1997 | 13.2% | -21.2% |
| 1998 | -3.3% | -124.8% |
| 1999 | 11.5% | -451.4% |
| 2000 | 11.7% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 9.8% | -16.6% |
| 2002 | 12.5% | +27.5% |
| 2003 | 11.8% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 8.2% | -30.4% |
| 2005 | 17.3% | +110.7% |
| 2006 | 16.9% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 14.5% | -14.7% |
| 2008 | -5.1% | -135.4% |
| 2009 | -16.8% | +228.7% |
| 2010 | -10.4% | -38.4% |
| 2011 | -10.5% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | -15.6% | +49.2% |
| 2013 | -3.0% | -80.7% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | -201.5% |
| 2015 | -6.7% | -319.0% |
| 2016 | 8.8% | -230.3% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | -55.3% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | -74.4% |
| 2019 | -8.9% | -990.7% |
| 2020 | -17.8% | +99.9% |
| 2021 | -7.5% | -57.9% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -111.8% |
| 2023 | -4.3% | -586.1% |
| 2024 | -15.3% | +254.1% |
| 2025 | -5.5% | -64.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -22.0% | -39.9% | -13.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | -21.7% | -36.3% | -11.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.3% | -21.8% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.9% | -3.3% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.1% | -16.8% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.8% | -15.6% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | -8.3% | -17.8% | 0.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
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)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 14.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3206 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 2,452 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate -8.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3751 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 2,918 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate -8.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 5.06 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Botswana?
- External balance on goods and services in Botswana was -5.5% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 26.7% in 1987.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was -39.9% in 1968.
- How does Botswana rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Botswana ranks 112th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. 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.