| Economy - overview | Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth slowed to 4.7% in 2006. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of more than $11,000 in 2006. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects. |
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| GDP | 3.3% (2006) |
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| GDP - real growth rate | 5.4% (2006 est.) |
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| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining)
services: 50.7% (2003 est.) |
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| Population below poverty line | 30.3% (2003) |
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Household income or consumption
by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Distribution of family income
- Gini index | 63 (1993) |
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| Labor force | 288,400 formal sector employees (2004) |
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| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
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| Unemployment rate | 23.8% (2004) |
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| Budget | revenues: $4.256 billion
expenditures: $3.968 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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| Industries | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles |
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| Industrial production growth rate | 6.3% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity -
production | 823 million kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption | 2.464 billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
exports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
imports | 1.699 billion kWh (2004) |
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| Oil - production | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
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| Oil - consumption | 11,500 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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| Oil - exports | NA bbl/day |
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| Oil - imports | 16,000 bbl/day (2001) |
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| Agriculture - products | livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts |
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| Exports | $4.836 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Exports - commodities | diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles |
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| Exports - partners | European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004) |
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| Imports | $3.034 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products |
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| Imports - partners | Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004) |
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| Debt - external | $520 million (2006 est.) |
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| Economic aid - recipient | $73 million (1995) |
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| Currency code | BWP |
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| Exchange rates | pulas per US dollar - 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002) |
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| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March |
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