Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Botswana
Botswana: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 8.1% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Botswana, 1971–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 8.1% for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Botswana peaked at 10.8% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1973.
That places Botswana 8th out of 199 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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 | 9.9% | 9.0% | 10.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 8.5% | 7.8% | 10.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 5 Algeria 9.0% compare
- 6 Cuba 8.4% compare
- 7 Solomon Islands 8.3% compare
- 9 Marshall Islands 7.7% compare
- 10 Vanuatu 7.6% compare
- 11 Mauritania 7.6% compare
More reference data data for Botswana
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0809 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.73 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.73 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 2.73 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.731 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 0.3121 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 62.34 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 62.02 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 0.2953 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 83.53 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Botswana?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Botswana was 8.1% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 10.8% in 2011.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1973.
- How does Botswana rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Botswana ranks 8th out of 199 countries with data for 2020.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.