Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana

Botswana: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 9.9% in 2009. ▲ Rising

Latest (2009)
9.9%
Change on year
up 26.1%
World rank
3rd
of 185 countries
All-time high
9.9%
in 2009
All-time low
3.3%
in 1973
Years of data
21
1971–2009

Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana, 1971–2009

468101971199020091971: 4.4 %1972: 3.9 %1973: 3.3 %1974: 3.7 %1975: 5.6 %1976: 6.1 %1977: 5.4 %1978: 6 %1979: 6.1 %1980: 5.5 %1983: 5.6 %1984: 5.6 %1985: 5.7 %1986: 5.2 %1987: 6.1 %1988: 6.2 %1990: 5.7 %1992: 6.8 %2005: 8.8 %2007: 7.9 %2009: 9.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Botswana recorded 9.9% for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in 2009. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 26.1% on the previous year and up 13.1% over five years.

Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Botswana peaked at 9.9% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1973.

Botswana ranks 3rd of 185 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana, year by year

Annual values for Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%) in Botswana, 1971 to 2009.
Year % Change
1971 4.4%
1972 3.9% -11.0%
1973 3.3% -16.5%
1974 3.7% +12.6%
1975 5.6% +53.8%
1976 6.1% +7.3%
1977 5.4% -10.9%
1978 6.0% +10.2%
1979 6.1% +3.2%
1980 5.5% -10.9%
1983 5.6% +1.5%
1984 5.6% -0.0%
1985 5.7% +1.8%
1986 5.2% -8.2%
1987 6.1% +18.0%
1988 6.2% +0.5%
1990 5.7% -6.7%
1992 6.8% +19.2%
2005 8.8% +28.5%
2007 7.9% -10.3%
2009 9.9% +26.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.9% 3.3% 6.1% 9
1980s 5.7% 5.2% 6.2% 7
1990s 6.3% 5.7% 6.8% 2
2000s 8.9% 7.9% 9.9% 3

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 1 Cuba 12.8% compare
  2. 2 Kiribati 11.6% compare
  3. 4 Algeria 9.0% compare
  4. 5 Montserrat 8.4% compare
  5. 6 Vanuatu 7.6% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More education data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Botswana?
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Botswana was 9.9% in 2009, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 9.9% in 2009.
What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1973.
How does Botswana rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
Botswana ranks 3rd out of 185 countries with data for 2009.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Botswana. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-expenditure-on-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/botswana/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
185 places, 4,380 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release