Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · updated on
Public finances and external accounts
A fiscal deficit of 6.1 % of GDP
Botswana: in 2025, the general government spent 6.1 % of GDP more than it collected, public debt stood at 34.0 % of GDP, the current account showed a surplus of 3.1 % (IMF).
- Fiscal balance · 2025
- −6.1 %
- of GDP · +4.8 pt since 2020
- Public debt · 2025
- 34.0 %
- of GDP · +10.5 pt since 2020
- Current account · 2025
- +3.1 %
- of GDP · +12.9 pt since 2020
Fiscal balance, % of GDP
Negative: a deficit · dashed: estimates and projections
Chart data as a table
| Year | Botswana | Southern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | −4.8 % | −4.2 % |
| 2016 | +0.7 % | −4.0 % |
| 2017 | −1.1 % | −4.7 % |
| 2018 | −5.0 % | −3.1 % |
| 2019 | −8.5 % | −4.0 % |
| 2020 | −10.9 % | −7.9 % |
| 2021 | −2.3 % | −4.5 % |
| 2022 | 0.0 % | −2.9 % |
| 2023 | −4.2 % | −5.1 % |
| 2024 | −7.2 % | −4.4 % |
| 2025 · estimate | −6.1 % | −4.9 % |
| 2026 · projection | −6.9 % | −4.2 % |
| 2027 · projection | −7.3 % | −3.9 % |
| 2028 · projection | −7.7 % | −3.9 % |
| 2029 · projection | −8.3 % | −3.8 % |
| 2030 · projection | −8.8 % | −3.7 % |
- Botswana
- Southern Africa
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · general government net lending or borrowing · group values weighted by GDP in dollars (Syli Atlas)
Current account, % of GDP
Trade, income and transfers with the rest of the world
Chart data as a table
| Year | Botswana |
|---|---|
| 2015 | +2.2 % |
| 2016 | +8.0 % |
| 2017 | +5.6 % |
| 2018 | +0.4 % |
| 2019 | −6.9 % |
| 2020 | −9.8 % |
| 2021 | −1.8 % |
| 2022 | −0.6 % |
| 2023 | +1.5 % |
| 2024 | −4.5 % |
| 2025 · estimate | +3.1 % |
| 2026 · projection | −1.0 % |
| 2027 · projection | −1.0 % |
| 2028 · projection | −1.4 % |
| 2029 · projection | −1.2 % |
| 2030 · projection | −0.9 % |
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Currency
Pula
The pula has no fixed peg: its value against the dollar and the euro moves with the market and the central bank's policy.
- Currency
- BWP
- pula
- Exchange regime
- —
- no fixed peg
- Inflation · 2025
- 2.8 %
- average annual change in consumer prices
- One US dollar
- 13.97 BWP
- rate of 2026-11-11
Currency codes: ISO 4217 · fixed parities: central banks (BCEAO, BEAC, Central Bank of the Comoros, Bank of Cape Verde…) · inflation: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · dollar rate: Data by MansaAPI
Debt
A debt owed first to multilateral lenders
At the end of 2025, Botswana owed 2.0 bn$ in public external debt (World Bank). 0.0 % of it was owed to China, 94.1 % to multilateral institutions and 0.0 % to bond holders.
- Public debt · 2025
- 34.0 %
- of GDP · IMF
- External debt · 2025
- 2.5 bn$
- public and private · World Bank
- Public external debt · 2025
- 2.0 bn$
- owed or guaranteed by the State
- Debt service · 2024
- 4.3 %
- of exports of goods, services and income
Public external debt by creditor
Share of the total at the end of each year
- Multilateral (IMF, World Bank, AfDB…)
- 94.1 %
- China
- 0.0 %
- Other countries
- 5.9 %
- Bonds (Eurobonds)
- 0.0 %
- Banks and other private lenders
- 0.0 %
Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics (updated 2026-11-05) · public and publicly guaranteed external debt, end of year · CC BY 4.0 · shares: Syli Atlas calculation