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Government debt in Botswana

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Botswana's government debt is 38.60 % — #34 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

38.60%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

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

The central government owes about 0.4 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in Botswana over time

38.60 %22.25 %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: 21.00 %2023: 22.50 %2024: 33.20 %2025: 38.60 %19982012202538.60 %
28 official observations, 1998 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#34 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
73 %
90 of 124 countries
Latest move
▲ 5.40 pp
since 2024
Full series
▲ 27.30 pp
since 1998

In Africa: #2 of 20vs median 54.55 %: −15.95 pp (better)

Among 124 countries

5 of 124 countries between 12.30 % and 17.86 %4 of 124 countries between 17.86 % and 23.42 %9 of 124 countries between 23.42 % and 28.97 %9 of 124 countries between 28.97 % and 34.53 %9 of 124 countries between 34.53 % and 40.09 %11 of 124 countries between 40.09 % and 45.65 %8 of 124 countries between 45.65 % and 51.21 %11 of 124 countries between 51.21 % and 56.77 %8 of 124 countries between 56.77 % and 62.32 %7 of 124 countries between 62.32 % and 67.88 %6 of 124 countries between 67.88 % and 73.44 %5 of 124 countries between 73.44 % and 79.00 %6 of 124 countries between 79.00 % and 84.56 %7 of 124 countries between 84.56 % and 90.12 %2 of 124 countries between 90.12 % and 95.67 %3 of 124 countries between 95.67 % and 101.23 %4 of 124 countries between 101.23 % and 106.79 %1 of 124 countries between 106.79 % and 112.35 %2 of 124 countries between 112.35 % and 117.91 %1 of 124 countries between 123.47 % and 129.02 %2 of 124 countries between 134.58 % and 140.14 %4 of 124 countries between 140.14 % and 145.70 %median 54.40 %Botswana: ahead of 73 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtBotswana 38.60 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Botswana is ahead of 73 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Botswana
32 Moldova36.60 %−2.00 pp
33 Iran37.30 %−1.30 pp
34 Botswana38.60 %—
35 Switzerland39.40 %+0.80 pp
36 Lithuania39.80 %+1.20 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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