Botswana: official statistics and sources
8 official bodies for Botswana, from Statistics Botswana to Companies and Intellectual Property Authority, with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official languages: English, Setswana. Capital: Gaborone.
Who holds power in Botswana
- Head of state: Duma Gideon Boko (President of the Republic of Botswana)
- Head of government: The head of state leads the government (no prime minister listed)
- Foreign minister: Phenyo Butale (Minister of International Relations of the Republic of Botswana)
Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Unitary parliamentary republic (executive president elected by the National Assembly). How local power works in Botswana: 4 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.
Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.
Government, regions and cities
- Government and power in Botswana: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
- Gaborone (capital)
Key figures
What the figures show
Botswana had 2.6 million people in 2025, by the World Bank's count; ten years earlier the figure was 2.2 million. Of the 48 UN members in the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region, 38 have more people; worldwide it comes 140th.
In 2025 Botswana recorded gross domestic product of $19.9 billion, converted to US dollars by the World Bank. That works out at $7,778 a head; the regional median is $1,351.
Real GDP shrank by 0.7% in 2025, World Bank figures show. For 2026 the IMF expects 4.4%.
Across 2025 the annual rate was 2.7%. The IMF forecasts 7.2% for 2026.
The ILO's modelled unemployment rate for 2025 is 24.5%; the national statistics office may publish a different figure from its own survey.
The IMF records general government gross debt of 34.0% of GDP for 2025, compared with a median of 53.1% across the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region; its 2026 projection is 40.3%.
Life expectancy at birth: 69.3 years (2024).
- Annual inflation since 2015: highest 11.7% (2022), lowest 1.9% (2020).
- Debt ratio 2015: 24.5%; 2025: 34.0%.
- GDP per person in dollars, 2015 to 2025: +27%.
Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.
Official sources in Botswana
Statistics office prices, jobs, people, output
- Statistics Botswana
Botswana's official statistics, including the consumer price index, GDP, the population census and labour force surveys.
Central bank interest rates and money
- Bank of Botswana
Monetary policy statements, the policy rate, exchange rates, financial stability reports and economic statistics.
Parliament debates, votes, bills
- National Assembly
Hansard, bills, order papers, committee reports and the list of members.
Regulators
- Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority
Regulations, licensed entity registers and reports on insurance, pensions and capital markets.
- Competition and Consumer Authority
Merger decisions, competition case outcomes and consumer protection notices.
- Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority
Telecoms, broadcasting and postal licences, regulatory decisions and market statistics.
- Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority
Fuel and electricity price decisions, licences and energy sector regulations.
Public registers companies, land, charities
- Companies and Intellectual Property Authority
Registration and search of companies and business names, and intellectual property registration in Botswana.
Notes
The Independent Electoral Commission (iec.gov.bw) returned HTTP 503 and the Attorney General's e-Laws portal (elaws.gov.bw) did not respond on 13 Oct 2026; neither is listed.
The government portal gov.bw served an expired TLS certificate on 13 Oct 2026; the Auditor General's page sits on that portal.
What Botswana does not have
- The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority site (ppra.co.bw) and the e-procurement portal did not complete a connection on 2026-10-13, so no procurement portal is listed.
- The Information and Data Protection Commission and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (which administers asset declarations) had no reachable site on 2026-10-13.
- No online land register could be confirmed; the government portal gov.bw, which hosts the land pages, served an invalid certificate on 2026-10-13.
- No public register of societies or charities could be found online.
Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.
Botswana by subject
- Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
- Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
- Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
- Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
- Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
- Housing homes, cities, water and power
- Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
- Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
- Education schools, universities and literacy
- Environment emissions, air, forests and water
Power in Botswana, from local government up to the G20
The global bodies above national governments, and the levels of power inside Botswana. How the ten levels work.
Level 3: Local councils
- Local government in Botswana how councils, regions and municipalities work
Level 6: National government
- Botswana: national government this page
- Government and power in Botswana who leads, the parliament and the courts
- World leaders every country's head of state and government
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Common questions
What is the population of Botswana?
2.6 million (2025, World Bank). National figures: Statistics Botswana.
What is the inflation rate in Botswana?
2.7% (2025, World Bank). Official index: Statistics Botswana.
What is Botswana's GDP?
$19.9 billion (2025, World Bank).
How much government debt does Botswana have?
34.0% of GDP (2025, International Monetary Fund).
Who publishes official statistics in Botswana?
Statistics Botswana: https://www.statsbots.org.bw/
What is the central bank of Botswana?
Bank of Botswana: https://www.bankofbotswana.bw/
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