Economy · Public debt · Botswana
Botswana’s public debt was 19.7% of GDP in 2023.
19.7% of GDP
2023
Up 1.4 pp from 2022.
Stale — last updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
19.7% of GDP
What it is. This measure adds up everything the central government of Botswana owes, then divides the total by the value of the country's annual output, so the debt is sized against the economy that has to carry it. It covers central government borrowing only, so debt held by other public bodies sits outside it. Because GDP is the denominator, the ratio can fall when the economy grows faster than borrowing, even while the amount owed rises.
Lower is better. A lower ratio means a smaller share of national income is owed by the state. That leaves more room to borrow in a downturn and keeps interest costs lighter. The latest figure is 19.7% of GDP for 2023, up 1.4 percentage points from 18.3% of GDP a year earlier. It is the highest level since 2014, the start of the window. The lowest point in that span was 14.7% of GDP in 2017, so the ratio now sits at the top of its range.
Why it matters. At 19.7% of GDP, the central government of Botswana owes a sizeable share of a year's national output, and the ratio has climbed from 14.7% of GDP in 2017. A higher ratio means the state sets aside more of its revenue for interest and repayment, which leaves less for services and investment. Households and firms feel this through public spending priorities and, over time, through the taxes needed to support borrowing. The next annual reading will show whether the ratio keeps rising from 19.7% of GDP.
| Period | Public debt · Botswana |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 18.3% of GDP |
| 2015 | 19.1% of GDP |
| 2016 | 15.8% of GDP |
| 2017 | 14.7% of GDP |
| 2018 | 15.2% of GDP |
| 2019 | 16.2% of GDP |
| 2020 | 19.6% of GDP |
| 2021 | 19.7% of GDP |
| 2022 | 18.3% of GDP |
| 2023 | 19.7% of GDP |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Public debt, Botswana, 2023; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/economy/public-debt/botswana
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
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Working this out from the published figures…
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Methodology
Central government debt, total, as a share of GDP. Unit: % of GDP. The measure covers central government only.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.