Botswana vs Other small states: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Botswana
3.1%
in 2025
Other small states
1.4%
in 2025
Botswana rank
33rd
Other small states rank
32nd
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Botswana
- Other small states
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 3.1% against 1.4% in Other small states, a difference of 1.7%.
That makes Botswana's figure about 2.2 times Other small states's.
Across all 42 years both countries report, Botswana has been ahead every year.
Botswana ranks 33rd and Other small states ranks 32nd of 167 countries.
Botswana has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Other small states | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.2% | Botswana |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 2.8% | 1.1% | Botswana |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 1.4% | 1.9% | Botswana |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 1.3% | 1.4% | Botswana |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 1.4% | 1.3% | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Botswana or Other small states?
- Botswana, at 3.1% against 1.4% in Other small states as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Botswana and Other small states?
- 1.7%, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Other small states?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1984 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and Other small states rank globally for military expenditure?
- Botswana ranks 33rd and Other small states ranks 32nd of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product