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2022
Economic Complexity
Trade -0.59Rank 91 of 133
2022
Economic Complexity
Research -0.94Rank 117 of 135
2022
Product
Exports | Imports $8.65B | $7.83B107 of 226 |  130 of 226
2022
Per Capita Product
Exports | Imports $3.29k | $2.98k80 of 220 |  127 of 220

About

Overview In 2022, Botswana was the number 115 economy in the world in terms of GDP (current US$), the number 107 in total exports, the number 130 in total imports, the number 86 economy in terms of GDP per capita (current US$) and the number 91 most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) .

Exports The top exports of Botswana are Diamonds ($7.4B), Copper Ore ($340M), Insulated Wire ($152M), Coal Briquettes ($99.5M), and Bovine ($98.2M), exporting mostly to United Arab Emirates ($2.31B), Belgium ($1.55B), India ($1.28B), South Africa ($836M), and Hong Kong ($549M).

Imports The top imports of Botswana are Diamonds ($2.13B), Refined Petroleum ($1.31B), Delivery Trucks ($140M), Raw Sugar ($127M), and Cars ($111M), importing mostly from South Africa ($4.74B), Namibia ($672M), Belgium ($397M), India ($329M), and Canada ($322M).

Location Botswana borders Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe by land.

Latest Trends

Latest Trade

Flow
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Y-AXIS SCALE

The following section uses the most recent trade data from partners of Botswana.

Disclaimer: data is presented based on availability and only countries that use the harmonized system are being shown.

* Trade values are converted to USD using each month's exchange rate. For December 2023 data, the exchange rate from December 30, 2023 is used.

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Latest Data

Flow
Color
Depth

The data obtained is mirror data. The trade of countries that do not report current data can be reconstructed based on data reported by partner countries with current data available.

*All data is converted to USD using January 2020 exchange rates when data is reported in local currency.

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Historical Data

Yearly Trade

Flow
Color
Depth
Top Export (2022)Diamonds$7.4B
Top Destination (2022)United Arab Emirates$2.31B

In 2022, Botswana exported a total of $8.65B, making it the number 107 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Botswana have changed by $2.31B from $6.34B in 2017 to $8.65B in 2022.

The most recent exports are led by Diamonds ($7.4B), Copper Ore ($340M), Insulated Wire ($152M), Coal Briquettes ($99.5M), and Bovine ($98.2M). The most common destination for the exports of Botswana are United Arab Emirates ($2.31B), Belgium ($1.55B), India ($1.28B), South Africa ($836M), and Hong Kong ($549M).

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Exports (2022)
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Destinations (2022)
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Market Growth

Flow
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Growth
Fastest Growing Export Markets (2021 - 2022)
United Arab Emirates$375M (+ 19.4%)
Hong Kong$184M (+ 50.2%)
South Africa$154M (+ 22.6%)
Fastest Growing Import Markets (2021 - 2022)
South Africa$255M (+ 5.69%)
Namibia$236M (+ 54.1%)
Canada$91.1M (+ 39.4%)

Total Export Growth by Market (2021 - 2022)

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

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Service Trade

Service Trade

Botswana Exports Services (2019)$924M
Botswana Imports Services (2019)$1.17B

In 2019, Botswana exported $924M worth of services. The top services exported by Botswana in 2019 were Personal travel ($568M), Other business services ($152M), Transportation ($53.1M), Government services, n.i.e. ($41.8M), and Financial services ($38.8M).

The top services imported by Botswana in 2019 were Other business services ($262M), Transportation ($260M), Personal travel ($227M), Government services, n.i.e. ($144M), and Royalties and license fees ($106M).

Service Exports (2019)

Service Imports (2019)

Economic Complexity

Overview

Economic Complexity (Trade)-0.59Rank 91 of 133
Economic Complexity (Research)-0.94Rank 117 of 135

Most Specialized Products by RCA Index

Botswana has a high level of specialization in Diamonds (165), Bovine (29.8), Ornamental Trimmings (20.3), Scrap Lead (17.1), and Salt (16.3). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Botswana observed and expected exports in each product.

Most Complex Products by PCI

The highest complexity exports of Botswana according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Cement, concrete or artificial stone; whether or not reinforced, articles thereof (0.36), Beryllium, chromium, germanium, vanadium, gallium, hafnium, indium, niobium (columbium), rhenium and thallium;... (0.16), Tubes, pipes and hoses and fittings thereof (for example, joints, elbows, flanges),... (0.12), Sunflower seeds; whether or not broken (-0.4), and Insulated wire, cable and other electric conductors, connector fitted or not; optical... (-0.59). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.

Export Opportunities by Relatedness

The top export opportunities for Botswana according to the relatedness index, were Gold (0.044), Other Oily Seeds (0.041), Raw Cotton (0.04), Sorghum (0.04), and Raw Sugar (0.04). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Botswana is not specialized in.

Product Space

The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.

Relatedness Space

This network shows the products most related to the production structure of Botswana. These are products that tend to be co-exported with the products that Botswana exports. Higher relatedness values ​​indicate greater knowledge, which predicts a greater probability of exporting that product in the future.

Relatedness Space (2022)

Diversification Frontier

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Depth

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.

Diversification Frontier

Economic Complexity Ranking

Methodology
Scale

During the last 20 years Botswana's⁩ ⁨economy has become relatively less complex, moving from the ⁩⁨74th to the 91st⁩ position in the ECI rank.

These economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.

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ECI (Trade) Ranking by Country

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