Trade in services (% of GDP) in Botswana
Botswana: Trade in services (% of GDP) was 11.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Trade in services in Botswana, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, trade in services in Botswana stood at 11.8%.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and down 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services in Botswana peaked at 33.7% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2021.
Botswana ranks 151st of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Trade in services (% of GDP) in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 30.1% | — |
| 1976 | 33.7% | +11.9% |
| 1977 | 31.3% | -7.0% |
| 1978 | 25.8% | -17.5% |
| 1979 | 26.4% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 29.9% | +13.2% |
| 1981 | 28.8% | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 28.0% | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 27.5% | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 24.0% | -12.8% |
| 1985 | 18.5% | -22.6% |
| 1986 | 18.3% | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 16.7% | -8.7% |
| 1988 | 13.2% | -21.0% |
| 1989 | 11.0% | -16.9% |
| 1990 | 15.4% | +40.7% |
| 1991 | 15.0% | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 13.2% | -11.8% |
| 1993 | 12.4% | -6.2% |
| 1994 | 11.7% | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | +27.4% |
| 1996 | 10.5% | -29.2% |
| 1997 | 13.0% | +23.6% |
| 1998 | 16.3% | +25.0% |
| 1999 | 15.5% | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 15.1% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 13.1% | -13.1% |
| 2002 | 15.3% | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 14.6% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 14.7% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 14.4% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 14.9% | +9.2% |
| 2008 | 11.2% | -24.6% |
| 2009 | 16.2% | +44.2% |
| 2010 | 12.6% | -22.1% |
| 2011 | 12.5% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 12.4% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 13.6% | +9.7% |
| 2014 | 14.3% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 15.0% | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | -17.4% |
| 2017 | 12.9% | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 12.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 14.0% | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 11.2% | -19.7% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | -24.6% |
| 2022 | 8.6% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 9.3% | +8.2% |
| 2024 | 11.5% | +23.7% |
| 2025 | 11.8% | +2.2% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 11.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.5%, 44% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 11.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.7%, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 29.4% | 25.8% | 33.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 21.6% | 11.0% | 29.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.8% | 10.5% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.3% | 11.2% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.3% | 12.4% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.2% | 8.5% | 11.8% | 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0175 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 136.3 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.6918 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0128 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 99.52 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0101 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in services in Botswana?
- Trade in services in Botswana was 11.8% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest trade in services recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 33.7% in 1976.
- What is the lowest trade in services recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2021.
- How does Botswana rank for trade in services?
- Botswana ranks 151st out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade in services rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Trade in services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus 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.