Imports of goods and services in Botswana
Botswana: Imports of goods and services was 37.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Imports of goods and services in Botswana, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 37.5% for imports of goods and services in 2025.
The figure is down 11.5% on the previous year and down 37.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imports of goods and services in Botswana peaked at 71.5% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 34.8%, in 2006.
That places Botswana 117th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Imports of goods and services in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 39.6% | — |
| 1961 | 42.5% | +7.3% |
| 1962 | 44.8% | +5.4% |
| 1963 | 47.3% | +5.6% |
| 1964 | 48.6% | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 50.6% | +4.2% |
| 1966 | 50.9% | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 50.8% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 62.9% | +24.0% |
| 1969 | 52.6% | -16.5% |
| 1970 | 60.9% | +15.9% |
| 1971 | 61.6% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 60.5% | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 62.0% | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 64.8% | +4.5% |
| 1975 | 63.8% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 66.3% | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 69.3% | +4.5% |
| 1978 | 68.5% | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 65.2% | -4.8% |
| 1980 | 66.4% | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 71.5% | +7.7% |
| 1982 | 69.3% | -3.2% |
| 1983 | 62.6% | -9.7% |
| 1984 | 58.0% | -7.4% |
| 1985 | 51.2% | -11.6% |
| 1986 | 49.1% | -4.1% |
| 1987 | 48.4% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 43.9% | -9.3% |
| 1989 | 46.1% | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 49.8% | +7.9% |
| 1991 | 46.5% | -6.6% |
| 1992 | 41.6% | -10.7% |
| 1993 | 39.1% | -5.9% |
| 1994 | 40.4% | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 43.8% | +8.4% |
| 1996 | 37.1% | -15.2% |
| 1997 | 47.7% | +28.5% |
| 1998 | 52.6% | +10.1% |
| 1999 | 43.7% | -16.8% |
| 2000 | 40.1% | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 38.9% | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 39.7% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 37.0% | -6.7% |
| 2004 | 41.4% | +11.8% |
| 2005 | 35.6% | -14.0% |
| 2006 | 34.8% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 42.0% | +20.6% |
| 2008 | 52.1% | +23.9% |
| 2009 | 52.6% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 52.5% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 54.7% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 63.8% | +16.5% |
| 2013 | 64.4% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 58.2% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 59.8% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 45.9% | -23.3% |
| 2017 | 39.0% | -14.9% |
| 2018 | 43.2% | +10.8% |
| 2019 | 46.0% | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 49.1% | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 49.3% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 42.6% | -13.6% |
| 2023 | 37.2% | -12.6% |
| 2024 | 42.4% | +13.8% |
| 2025 | 37.5% | -11.5% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 37.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 43.0%, 87% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 37.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.0%, 1.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 49.1% | 39.6% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.3% | 60.5% | 69.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 56.7% | 43.9% | 71.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.2% | 37.1% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.4% | 34.8% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.7% | 39.0% | 64.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.0% | 37.2% | 49.3% | 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 3.02 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0002 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.2 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 467.27 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -36.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0242 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 185.34 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate -27.34 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is imports of goods and services in Botswana?
- Imports of goods and services in Botswana was 37.5% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest imports of goods and services recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 71.5% in 1981.
- What is the lowest imports of goods and services recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.8% in 2006.
- How does Botswana rank for imports of goods and services?
- Botswana ranks 117th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is imports of goods and services rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of Imports of goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. 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.