Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in Botswana
Botswana: Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) was 16.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Subsidies and other transfers in Botswana, 1990–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2023, subsidies and other transfers in Botswana stood at 16.9%.
That represents a change of up 138.1% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, subsidies and other transfers in Botswana peaked at 38.2% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 2022.
That places Botswana 134th out of 152 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 31.8% | — |
| 1991 | 33.4% | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 32.5% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 32.8% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 33.9% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 35.6% | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 38.2% | +7.3% |
| 2017 | 18.6% | -51.3% |
| 2018 | 17.3% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | +7.6% |
| 2020 | 20.3% | +9.4% |
| 2021 | 17.2% | -15.4% |
| 2022 | 7.1% | -58.7% |
| 2023 | 16.9% | +138.1% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 16.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 35.7%, 47% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 16.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.7%, 66% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in Botswana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +138.1% | 7.1% | 16.9% |
| 2022 | -58.7% | 17.2% | 7.1% |
| 2017 | -51.3% | 38.2% | 18.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.0% | 31.8% | 38.2% | 7 |
| 2010s | 18.2% | 17.3% | 18.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 7.1% | 20.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 131 Kenya 17.4% compare
- 132 Marshall Islands 17.1% compare
- 133 Honduras 17.0% compare
- 135 Bhutan 15.9% compare
- 136 Equatorial Guinea 15.3% compare
- 137 Seychelles 15.1% compare
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 subsidies and other transfers in Botswana?
- Subsidies and other transfers in Botswana was 16.9% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest subsidies and other transfers recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 38.2% in 1996.
- What is the lowest subsidies and other transfers recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 2022.
- How does Botswana rank for subsidies and other transfers?
- Botswana ranks 134th out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
- Is subsidies and other transfers rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Subsidies are current unrequited payments that government units, including nonresident government units, make to enterprises on the basis of the levels of their production activities or the quantities or values of the goods or services that they produce, sell, export or import. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.