Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Botswana
Botswana: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 55.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Travel services in Botswana, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for travel services in Botswana is 55.2%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 12.6% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Botswana peaked at 79.1% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 20.7%, in 1976.
That places Botswana 59th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22.4% | — |
| 1976 | 20.7% | -7.5% |
| 1977 | 23.0% | +10.9% |
| 1978 | 28.1% | +22.4% |
| 1979 | 38.5% | +37.1% |
| 1980 | 30.3% | -21.5% |
| 1981 | 33.1% | +9.4% |
| 1982 | 39.9% | +20.5% |
| 1983 | 44.1% | +10.5% |
| 1984 | 44.9% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 45.5% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 54.9% | +20.8% |
| 1987 | 54.0% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 51.1% | -5.4% |
| 1989 | 65.4% | +28.0% |
| 1990 | 64.1% | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 70.1% | +9.4% |
| 1992 | 63.7% | -9.1% |
| 1993 | 69.0% | +8.3% |
| 1994 | 70.9% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 68.5% | -3.3% |
| 1996 | 64.1% | -6.3% |
| 1997 | 72.5% | +13.0% |
| 1998 | 72.8% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 76.9% | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 72.7% | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 67.2% | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 72.4% | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 73.0% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 73.9% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 68.5% | -7.4% |
| 2006 | 70.4% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 65.3% | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 79.1% | +21.1% |
| 2009 | 78.8% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 73.2% | -7.2% |
| 2011 | 61.4% | -16.1% |
| 2012 | 75.1% | +22.3% |
| 2013 | 61.9% | -17.5% |
| 2014 | 60.1% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 63.5% | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 63.0% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 62.4% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 63.0% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 73.2% | +16.1% |
| 2020 | 40.6% | -44.5% |
| 2021 | 46.1% | +13.6% |
| 2022 | 66.0% | +43.1% |
| 2023 | 69.4% | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 63.2% | -9.0% |
| 2025 | 55.2% | -12.6% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 55.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 49.0%, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 55.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.9%, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.5% | 20.7% | 38.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 46.3% | 30.3% | 65.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.3% | 63.7% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.1% | 65.3% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.7% | 60.1% | 75.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.7% | 40.6% | 69.4% | 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)
- Merchandise imports 6.39 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 1.30 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 1.9% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 86.3% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 5.12 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 1.05 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,998 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in Botswana?
- Travel services in Botswana was 55.2% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 79.1% in 2008.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.7% in 1976.
- How does Botswana rank for travel services?
- Botswana ranks 59th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Travel services (% of commercial service exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are commercial services provided by residents to non-residents.