Botswana

Botswana has maintained one of the world’s highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth fell below 5% in 2007-08, and turned sharply negative in 2009, with industry falling nearly 30%. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $13,100 in 2010. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP, 70-80% of export earnings, and about half of the government’s revenues. Botswana’s heavy reliance on a single luxury export was a critical factor in the sharp economic contraction of 2009. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. Although unemployment was 7.5% in 2007 according to official reports, unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is second highest in the world and threatens Botswana’s impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production within the next two decades overshadows long-term prospects.

$26.56 billion (2010 est.)

$25.76 billion (2009 est.)

$27.23 billion (2008 est.)

$12.5 billion (2010 est.)

3.1% (2010 est.)

-5.4% (2009 est.)

2.9% (2008 est.)

$13,100 (2010 est.)

$12,900 (2009 est.)

$13,900 (2008 est.)

685,300 formal sector employees (2007)

7.5% (2007 est.)

30.3% (2003)

63 (1993)

28.2% of GDP (2010 est.)

22.6% of GDP (2010 est.)

18.6% of GDP (2009 est.)

7.1% (2010 est.)

8.1% (2009 est.)

10% (31 December 2009)

15% (31 December 2008)

13.76% (31 December 2009 est.)

16.54% (31 December 2008 est.)

$1.146 billion (31 December 2010 est)

$939.1 million (31 December 2009 est)

$6.679 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$5.357 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.361 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$2.06 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$3.991 billion (31 December 2009)

$3.556 billion (31 December 2008)

$5.887 billion (31 December 2007)

livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; livestock processing; textiles

6.9% (2010 est.)

1.052 billion kWh (2007 est.)

2.648 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

2.181 billion kWh (2008 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

15,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

15,180 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

-$552 million (2010 est.)

-$762 million (2009 est.)

$4.419 billion (2010 est.)

$3.385 billion (2009 est.)

diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles

$4.518 billion (2010 est.)

$4.243 billion (2009 est.)

foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products

$7.834 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$8.704 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$2.222 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.681 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.7413 (2010), 7.1602 (2009), 6.7907 (2008), 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006)