Merchandise imports in Botswana
Botswana: Merchandise imports was 6.39 billion current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
6.39 billion current US$
Change on year
down 11.4%
World rank
131st
of 206 countries
All-time high
8.40 billion current US$
in 2021
All-time low
8.00 million current US$
in 1961
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Merchandise imports in Botswana, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, merchandise imports in Botswana stood at 6.39 billion current US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.4% on the previous year and down 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports in Botswana peaked at 8.40 billion current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 8.00 million current US$, in 1961.
Botswana ranks 131st of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports in Botswana, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.00 million current US$ | — |
| 1961 | 8.00 million current US$ | -11.1% |
| 1962 | 11.00 million current US$ | +37.5% |
| 1963 | 12.00 million current US$ | +9.1% |
| 1964 | 13.00 million current US$ | +8.3% |
| 1965 | 23.00 million current US$ | +76.9% |
| 1966 | 26.00 million current US$ | +13.0% |
| 1967 | 31.00 million current US$ | +19.2% |
| 1968 | 33.00 million current US$ | +6.5% |
| 1969 | 46.00 million current US$ | +39.4% |
| 1970 | 57.00 million current US$ | +23.9% |
| 1971 | 83.00 million current US$ | +45.6% |
| 1972 | 110.00 million current US$ | +32.5% |
| 1973 | 166.00 million current US$ | +50.9% |
| 1974 | 184.00 million current US$ | +10.8% |
| 1975 | 216.00 million current US$ | +17.4% |
| 1976 | 209.00 million current US$ | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 286.00 million current US$ | +36.8% |
| 1978 | 371.00 million current US$ | +29.7% |
| 1979 | 538.00 million current US$ | +45.0% |
| 1980 | 692.00 million current US$ | +28.6% |
| 1981 | 797.00 million current US$ | +15.2% |
| 1982 | 689.00 million current US$ | -13.6% |
| 1983 | 735.00 million current US$ | +6.7% |
| 1984 | 697.00 million current US$ | -5.2% |
| 1985 | 580.00 million current US$ | -16.8% |
| 1986 | 713.00 million current US$ | +22.9% |
| 1987 | 937.00 million current US$ | +31.4% |
| 1988 | 1.20 billion current US$ | +27.6% |
| 1989 | 1.50 billion current US$ | +25.4% |
| 1990 | 1.95 billion current US$ | +29.7% |
| 1991 | 1.95 billion current US$ | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 1.86 billion current US$ | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 1.77 billion current US$ | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 1.64 billion current US$ | -7.4% |
| 1995 | 1.91 billion current US$ | +16.5% |
| 1996 | 1.72 billion current US$ | -9.8% |
| 1997 | 2.26 billion current US$ | +31.1% |
| 1998 | 2.25 billion current US$ | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 2.20 billion current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 2.08 billion current US$ | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 1.81 billion current US$ | -13.1% |
| 2002 | 1.84 billion current US$ | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 2.45 billion current US$ | +32.7% |
| 2004 | 3.23 billion current US$ | +32.0% |
| 2005 | 3.16 billion current US$ | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 3.09 billion current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 4.07 billion current US$ | +31.8% |
| 2008 | 5.21 billion current US$ | +28.1% |
| 2009 | 4.73 billion current US$ | -9.3% |
| 2010 | 5.66 billion current US$ | +19.6% |
| 2011 | 7.27 billion current US$ | +28.5% |
| 2012 | 8.03 billion current US$ | +10.4% |
| 2013 | 8.35 billion current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 8.08 billion current US$ | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 7.24 billion current US$ | -10.4% |
| 2016 | 6.14 billion current US$ | -15.1% |
| 2017 | 5.33 billion current US$ | -13.3% |
| 2018 | 6.31 billion current US$ | +18.3% |
| 2019 | 6.56 billion current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 6.52 billion current US$ | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 8.40 billion current US$ | +28.9% |
| 2022 | 8.14 billion current US$ | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 6.51 billion current US$ | -20.1% |
| 2024 | 7.22 billion current US$ | +10.9% |
| 2025 | 6.39 billion current US$ | -11.4% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 6.39 billion current US$ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.19 billion current US$, 35% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 6.39 billion current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.46 billion current US$, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.20 million current US$ | 8.00 million current US$ | 46.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 222.00 million current US$ | 57.00 million current US$ | 538.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 853.60 million current US$ | 580.00 million current US$ | 1.50 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.95 billion current US$ | 1.64 billion current US$ | 2.26 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.17 billion current US$ | 1.81 billion current US$ | 5.21 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.90 billion current US$ | 5.33 billion current US$ | 8.35 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.20 billion current US$ | 6.39 billion current US$ | 8.40 billion current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More private sector data for Botswana
- Merchandise trade 57.8% (2025)
- Food imports 16.2% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 61.8% (2023)
- Food exports 1.9% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 86.3% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 5.12 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,998 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2569 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 9.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 2,496 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports in Botswana?
- Merchandise imports in Botswana was 6.39 billion current US$ in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise imports recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 8.40 billion current US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.00 million current US$ in 1961.
- How does Botswana rank for merchandise imports?
- Botswana ranks 131st out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise imports rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.