Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Botswana
Botswana: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 8.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Botswana, 1988–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in Botswana stood at 8.9%.
That represents a change of up 12.5% on the previous year and up 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Botswana peaked at 10.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2023.
That places Botswana 42nd out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 9.9% | — |
| 1989 | 9.5% | -4.3% |
| 1990 | 10.2% | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 10.3% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 9.9% | -4.2% |
| 1993 | 10.1% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 10.2% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 9.1% | -11.4% |
| 1996 | 7.7% | -14.7% |
| 1997 | 8.0% | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 8.6% | +6.8% |
| 1999 | 7.5% | -12.1% |
| 2000 | 8.2% | +8.6% |
| 2001 | 9.0% | +10.0% |
| 2002 | 9.0% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 9.2% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 8.5% | -7.4% |
| 2005 | 8.2% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 8.1% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 7.6% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 6.5% | -14.8% |
| 2009 | 6.0% | -7.3% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 6.4% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 6.1% | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 6.1% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 7.1% | +16.2% |
| 2016 | 10.0% | +39.5% |
| 2017 | 9.3% | -7.0% |
| 2018 | 8.1% | -12.1% |
| 2019 | 8.5% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 8.7% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 8.6% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 5.6% | -35.0% |
| 2024 | 7.9% | +42.9% |
| 2025 | 8.9% | +12.5% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 8.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.9%, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 8.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.9%, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.7% | 9.5% | 9.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 9.2% | 7.5% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.0% | 6.0% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 6.1% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 5.6% | 8.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More public sector data for Botswana
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 11.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 4.36 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0006 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 1,000 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Botswana?
- Military expenditure in Botswana was 8.9% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 10.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2023.
- How does Botswana rank for military expenditure?
- Botswana ranks 42nd out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure