Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana

Botswana: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP was 4.1% in 2009. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2009)
4.1%
Change on year
up 64.0%
World rank
3rd
of 173 countries
All-time high
4.1%
in 2009
All-time low
0.3%
in 1971
Years of data
21
1971–2009

Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana, 1971–2009

012341971199020091971: 0.336 %1972: 0.454 %1973: 0.465 %1974: 0.521 %1975: 0.729 %1976: 0.771 %1977: 0.847 %1978: 0.847 %1979: 0.365 %1980: 0.755 %1983: 0.903 %1984: 0.855 %1985: 0.825 %1986: 0.978 %1987: 0.877 %1988: 0.663 %1990: 1.1 %1992: 0.999 %2005: 3 %2007: 2.5 %2009: 4.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2009, government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Botswana stood at 4.1%. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 64.0% on the previous year and up 37.1% over five years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Botswana peaked at 4.1% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1971.

Botswana ranks 3rd of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%) in Botswana, 1971 to 2009.
Year % Change
1971 0.3%
1972 0.5% +34.8%
1973 0.5% +2.5%
1974 0.5% +12.1%
1975 0.7% +39.9%
1976 0.8% +5.7%
1977 0.8% +9.9%
1978 0.8% -0.0%
1979 0.4% -56.9%
1980 0.8% +107.1%
1983 0.9% +19.5%
1984 0.9% -5.3%
1985 0.8% -3.5%
1986 1.0% +18.5%
1987 0.9% -10.4%
1988 0.7% -24.3%
1990 1.1% +66.1%
1992 1.0% -9.3%
2005 3.0% +197.7%
2007 2.5% -16.4%
2009 4.1% +64.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.6% 0.3% 0.8% 9
1980s 0.8% 0.7% 1.0% 7
1990s 1.1% 1.0% 1.1% 2
2000s 3.2% 2.5% 4.1% 3

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 1 Sierra Leone 2,104.0%
  2. 2 Mauritania 4.6% compare
  3. 4 Cuba 3.0% compare
  4. 5 Ethiopia 2.3% compare
  5. 6 Puerto Rico 2.2% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More education data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Botswana?
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Botswana was 4.1% in 2009, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 4.1% in 2009.
What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1971.
How does Botswana rank for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
Botswana ranks 3rd out of 173 countries with data for 2009.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/botswana/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
173 places, 3,953 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release