Prices & public finance · Sub-Saharan Africa · Upper-middle income
Botswana: prices, money and public finance
Inflation is 2.7% (2025), 99th of 180 in the world and 30th of 44 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GDP deflator is 3.6% (2025), 90th of 209 in the world and 25th of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Lending rate is 6.3% (2024), 94th of 136 in the world and 28th of 36 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Inflation
BotswanaSub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
GDP deflator
BotswanaSub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
14 indicators
Prices & public finance: Botswana in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InflationInflation, consumer prices, annual % | 2.7%2025 | 99/180 | 30/44 | 8.6% | 6.9% | 1.9% | −0.4 ppsince 2015 | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.0% | |
| GDP deflatorInflation, GDP deflator, annual % | 3.6%2025 | 90/209 | 25/46 | 14.2% | 7.7% | 4.4% | −0.1 ppsince 2015 | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% | |
| Lending rateLending interest rate, % | 6.3%2024 | 94/136 | 28/36 | 15.5% | 11.5% | 5.8% | −2.7 ppsince 2014 | — | — | — | |
| Real interest rateReal interest rate, % | 4.2%2024 | 78/136 | 25/36 | 1.1% | 3.5% | 1.3% | +4.8 ppsince 2014 | — | — | — | |
| Exchange rateOfficial exchange rate, local currency per US$ | 13.502025 | 103/210 | 46/47 | 5.10 | 6.79 | 11.46 | +33%since 2015 | — | — | — | |
| Tax revenueTax revenue, % of GDP | 22.4%2023 | 33/142 | 5/32 | · | 23.9% | 22.3% | −4.3 ppsince 2013 | — | 10.4% | 13.9% | |
| Government revenueGovernment revenue excluding grants, % of GDP | 28.1%2023 | 59/142 | 4/32 | · | 36.7% | 28.8% | −12.4 ppsince 2013 | — | 18.5% | 24.0% | |
| Government expenseGovernment expense, % of GDP | 26.5%2024 | 72/142 | 7/32 | · | 33.5% | 33.9% | −2.6 ppsince 2014 | — | — | 28.5% | |
| Government debtCentral government debt, % of GDP | 19.7%2023 | 71/78 | 11/15 | · | 21.9% | 19.6% | +0.7 ppsince 2013 | — | — | — | |
| External debtExternal debt stocks, % of GNI | 11.9%2024 | 114/119 | 43/43 | 8.3% | 14.9% | 10.7% | −4.7 ppsince 2014 | — | 21.3% | — | |
| Private creditDomestic credit to private sector, % of GDP | 33.2%2025 | 103/169 | 6/42 | 14.7% | 27.5% | 39.7% | −2.8 ppsince 2015 | 31.7% | 139.0% | 140.3% | |
| Broad moneyBroad money, % of GDP | 44.1%2024 | 98/146 | 11/42 | 24.8% | 49.9% | 52.4% | +3.9 ppsince 2014 | 42.6% | 167.9% | 135.7% | |
| Reserves, months of importsTotal reserves in months of imports | 4.72024 | 76/165 | 12/32 | 24.9 | 12.4 | 7.7 | −54%since 2014 | 6.1 | 9.9 | 8.6 | |
| Military spendingMilitary expenditure, % of GDP | 3.11%2025 | 28/156 | 6/45 | 3.19% | 2.76% | 3.33% | +0.3 ppsince 2015 | 1.13% | 1.87% | 2.48% |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.
Better than ten years ago
- Inflation−0.4 pp2.7% in 2025
- External debt−4.7 pp11.9% in 2024
Worse than ten years ago
- Government debt+0.7 pp19.7% in 2023
- Reserves, months of imports−54%4.7 in 2024
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
neighbours
Botswana and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Botswana. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Botswana | South Africa | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Namibia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflation | 2.7%2025 | 3.2%2025 | 13.9%2025 | 104.7%2022 | 3.5%2025 |
| GDP deflator | 3.6%2025 | 2.8%2025 | 5.6%2025 | 83.1%2025 | 6.1%2025 |
| Lending rate | 6.3%2024 | 10.7%2025 | 9.5%2020 | 46.4%2025 | 11.0%2024 |
| Real interest rate | 4.2%2024 | 7.7%2025 | -3.9%2020 | -20.1%2025 | 6.4%2024 |
| Exchange rate | 13.502025 | 17.892025 | 25.282025 | 26.602025 | 17.892025 |
| Tax revenue | 22.4%2023 | 25.9%2024 | 18.8%2024 | 7.2%2018 | 33.9%2024 |
| Government revenue | 28.1%2023 | 29.4%2024 | 23.4%2024 | 8.1%2018 | 35.6%2024 |
| Government expense | 26.5%2024 | 33.4%2022 | 25.1%2021 | 11.0%2018 | 36.2%2023 |
| Government debt | 19.7%2023 | 82.8%2024 | 71.4%2021 | — | 4.7%2015 |