Botswana’s imports of goods and services fell to 37.5% of GDP in 2025.

Neither way is good in itself. The right level depends on what drives it. A high share shows reliance on foreign supply and exposure to external prices and shipping, while a low share can reflect more local production or weaker spending. The latest figure, for 2025, is 37.5% of GDP, down from 42.4% of GDP a year earlier, a fall of 4.9 percentage points. Since 2016 the range runs from 37.2% of GDP in 2023 to 49.3% of GDP in 2021, so the latest reading sits just above the lowest point of that range.

Why it matters. At 37.5% of GDP, a smaller share of national income goes abroad for imported goods and services than a year earlier. That lowers the demand for foreign currency from importers and from the state, which buys fuel and equipment from abroad. Households may see the effect in the range and price of imported goods, or in weaker spending if lower demand lies behind the fall. Later annual readings will show whether the share keeps falling or settles near its 2023 low.