Botswana: Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Botswana's computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) rose 3.34 percentage points on 2024 (from 61.18% to 64.52%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +1.63 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 6.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 17.57 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 15.91 percentage points in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.79 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 56% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Botswana had the 10th highest value of the 134 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Botswana in the 2025 ranking

• Finland — 7th of 134: 66.55%
• Japan — 8th of 134: 66.25%
• Azerbaijan — 9th of 134: 64.97%
• Netherlands — 11th of 134: 63.8%
• India — 12th of 134: 62.54%
• Israel — 13th of 134: 61.23%

What this measures

Computer, communications and other services include such activities as international telecommunications, and postal and courier services; computer data; news-related service transactions between residents and nonresidents; construction services; royalties and license fees; miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services; and personal, cultural, and recreational services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.

Limitations: Balance of payments statistics, the main source of information on international trade in services, have many weaknesses. Disaggregation of important components may be limited and varies considerably across countries. There are inconsistencies in the methods used to report items. And the recording of major flows as net items is common (for example, insurance transactions are often recorded as premiums less claims). These factors contribute to a downward bias in the value of the service trade reported in the balance of payments. Efforts are being made to improve the coverage, quality, and consistency of these data.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 51 values

Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) in nearby economies

• Angola — 35.16% (2025)
• Benin — 52.93% (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 22.56% (2024)
• Burundi — 19.83% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 34.64% (2025)
• Cameroon — 36.37% (2024)
• Comoros — 12.72% (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 25.11% (2025)

More private sector & trade data for Botswana

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 57.78% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$6.4 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$5.12 billion (2025)
• Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports) — 0.57% (2025)
• Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$1.3 billion (2025)
• Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 25.54% (2025)
• Travel services (% of commercial service imports) — 9.37% (2025)
• Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service exports) — 0.32% (2025)
• Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service exports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Botswana's computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports)?

64.52% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is up 60.25 percentage points from 4.27% in 1975. The highest value was 67.04% in 2020 and the lowest 4.27% in 1975.

How does Botswana rank?

10th highest of 134 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) unusual for Botswana?

In 2025, Botswana's computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) rose 3.34 percentage points on 2024 (from 61.18% to 64.52%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +1.63 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 6.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.VAL.OTHR.ZS.WT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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