Botswana: Total reserves in months of imports

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Botswana's total reserves in months of imports fell 34.4% on 2023 (from 7.18 to 4.71).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −2.7% and a typical year strayed about 16.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 91.7% in 1985 and the biggest yearly fall was 34.4% in 2024. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.68 a year. A straight line explains 82% 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 2024, Botswana had the 16th highest value of the 36 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 2024 ranking

• Mauritius — 12th of 36: 5.16
• Papua New Guinea — 13th of 36: 4.9
• Gambia, The — 14th of 36: 4.79
• Tunisia — 16th of 36: 4.5
• Fiji — 17th of 36: 4.44
• Rwanda — 18th of 36: 4.18

What this measures

Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. This item is expressed in terms of the number of months of imports of goods and services they could pay for [X/(Imports/12)].

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

All 49 values

Total reserves in months of imports in nearby economies

• Angola — 5.29 (2025)
• Burundi — 0.73 (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 8.69 (2025)
• Cameroon — 5.28 (2024)
• Comoros — 7.61 (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1.69 (2023)
• Congo, Rep. — 1.6 (2021)
• Eswatini — 1.91 (2024)
• Ethiopia — 1.78 (2024)
• Gabon — 4.25 (2015)
• Gambia, The

More economic policy & debt data for Botswana

• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$6.27 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 84.72 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 31.48% (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$9.12 billion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 123.17 billion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 45.77% (2025)
• Final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$15.4 billion (2025)
• Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 207.88 billion (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Botswana's total reserves in months of imports?

4.71 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is up 68.51% from 2.8 in 1976 (1.09% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 26.73 in 2001 and the lowest 2.8 in 1976.

How does Botswana rank?

16th highest of 36 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in total reserves in months of imports unusual for Botswana?

In 2024, Botswana's total reserves in months of imports fell 34.4% on 2023 (from 7.18 to 4.71). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −2.7% and a typical year strayed about 16.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FI.RES.TOTL.MO, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, 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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