Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Botswana
Botswana: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 21.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Botswana, 1983–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2020, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Botswana stood at 21.5%.
The figure is down 3.9% on the previous year and down 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Botswana peaked at 26.5% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 14.2%, in 1983.
Botswana ranks 11th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Botswana, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 14.2% | — |
| 1984 | 15.4% | +8.2% |
| 1985 | 15.3% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 15.4% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 16.6% | +7.8% |
| 1988 | 15.9% | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 16.4% | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 16.2% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 25.8% | +59.7% |
| 2007 | 26.5% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 20.5% | -22.7% |
| 2010 | 23.6% | +15.0% |
| 2011 | 24.2% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 21.7% | -10.4% |
| 2013 | 20.9% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 22.7% | +8.4% |
| 2015 | 23.1% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 22.0% | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 22.8% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 22.6% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 22.3% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 21.5% | -3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.4% | 14.2% | 16.6% | 6 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 16.2% | 16.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 24.3% | 20.5% | 26.5% | 3 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 20.9% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.5% | 21.5% | 21.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 8 Bhutan 22.2% compare
- 9 Uzbekistan 22.1% compare
- 10 Kazakhstan 22.0% compare
- 12 Senegal 20.9% compare
- 13 Dominican Republic 20.9% compare
- 14 Sierra Leone 20.5% compare
More education data for Botswana
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 15,284 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,590 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 20,760 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 20,779 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 175,513 (2021)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 381,674 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.49 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1564 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Botswana?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Botswana was 21.5% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 26.5% in 2007.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.2% in 1983.
- How does Botswana rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Botswana ranks 11th out of 197 countries with data for 2020.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release