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Government debt in Botswana

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Botswana's government debt is 34.00 % — #26 of 125 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

34.00%

Checked 24 Oct 2026Period 2025

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP)

The central government owes about 0.3 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in Botswana over time

34.00 %19.95 %5.90 %5.90 % · 20071998: 11.30 %1999: 9.30 %2000: 8.20 %2001: 7.50 %2002: 8.40 %2003: 7.10 %2004: 10.70 %2005: 7.50 %2006: 6.10 %2007: 5.90 %2008: 7.80 %2009: 22.40 %2010: 26.50 %2011: 27.90 %2012: 26.40 %2013: 23.80 %2014: 23.90 %2015: 24.50 %2016: 22.30 %2017: 19.60 %2018: 19.60 %2019: 21.50 %2020: 23.50 %2021: 22.30 %2022: 20.00 %2023: 22.50 %2024: 30.50 %2025: 34.00 %19982012202534.00 %
28 official observations, 1998 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#26 of 125
lower is better
Ranked behind
79 %
99 of 125 countries
Latest move
▲ 3.50 pp
since 2024
Full series
▲ 22.70 pp
since 1998

In Africa: #1 of 21vs median 54.70 %: −20.70 pp (better)

Among 125 countries

6 of 125 countries between 12.30 % and 17.90 %2 of 125 countries between 17.90 % and 23.49 %10 of 125 countries between 23.49 % and 29.09 %11 of 125 countries between 29.09 % and 34.68 %8 of 125 countries between 34.68 % and 40.28 %9 of 125 countries between 40.28 % and 45.88 %7 of 125 countries between 45.88 % and 51.47 %13 of 125 countries between 51.47 % and 57.07 %8 of 125 countries between 57.07 % and 62.66 %10 of 125 countries between 62.66 % and 68.26 %4 of 125 countries between 68.26 % and 73.85 %3 of 125 countries between 73.85 % and 79.45 %7 of 125 countries between 79.45 % and 85.05 %6 of 125 countries between 85.05 % and 90.64 %2 of 125 countries between 90.64 % and 96.24 %6 of 125 countries between 96.24 % and 101.83 %2 of 125 countries between 101.83 % and 107.43 %1 of 125 countries between 107.43 % and 113.02 %2 of 125 countries between 113.02 % and 118.62 %1 of 125 countries between 124.22 % and 129.81 %2 of 125 countries between 135.41 % and 141.00 %5 of 125 countries between 141.00 % and 146.60 %median 54.70 %Botswana: ahead of 79 % of the 125 countries with a published government debtBotswana 34.00 %12.30 %146.60 %
Half of all 125 countries sit between 36.10 % and 81.70 %. Botswana is ahead of 79 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Botswana
24 Saudi Arabia31.80 %−2.20 pp
25 United Arab Emirates33.90 %−0.10 pp
26 Botswana34.00 %—
27 Georgia34.30 %+0.30 pp
28 Sweden34.50 %+0.50 pp

General government gross debt as a share of GDP (IMF World Economic Outlook, annual).

How to read this figure

Central government debt as a share of GDP (World Bank). General government debt (including local government and social funds) can be meaningfully higher; comparisons across countries are indicative.

Next, about Botswana

Debt per personGDP growthInflation rate
Government debt, all countries ranked →Compare Botswana with another country →Everything about Botswana →
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