Botswana vs Small states: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Botswana
3.1%
in 2025
Small states
1.3%
in 2025
Botswana rank
33rd
Small states rank
34th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Botswana
- Small states
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 3.1% against 1.3% in Small states, a difference of 1.8%.
That makes Botswana's figure about 2.3 times Small states's.
Across all 30 years both countries report, Botswana has been ahead every year.
Botswana ranks 33rd and Small states ranks 34th of 167 countries.
Botswana has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | Small states | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.0% | 2.5% | 1.5% | Botswana |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 1.2% | 2.1% | Botswana |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 1.2% | 1.5% | Botswana |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 1.3% | 1.4% | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Botswana or Small states?
- Botswana, at 3.1% against 1.3% in Small states as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Botswana and Small states?
- 1.8%, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Small states?
- 30 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and Small states rank globally for military expenditure?
- Botswana ranks 33rd and Small states ranks 34th 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