Botswana - Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)

Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) in Botswana was 46.06 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 60 years was 71.53 in 1981, while its lowest value was 34.08 in 2006.

Definition: Imports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services received from the rest of the world. They include the value of merchandise, freight, insurance, transport, travel, royalties, license fees, and other services, such as communication, construction, financial, information, business, personal, and government services. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments.

Source: World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.

See also:

Year Value
1960 39.64
1961 42.53
1962 44.84
1963 47.35
1964 48.58
1965 50.61
1966 50.95
1967 50.77
1968 62.95
1969 52.57
1970 60.91
1971 61.56
1972 60.54
1973 61.97
1974 64.78
1975 63.79
1976 66.32
1977 69.31
1978 68.52
1979 65.25
1980 66.44
1981 71.53
1982 69.27
1983 62.57
1984 57.96
1985 51.23
1986 49.13
1987 48.44
1988 43.93
1989 46.14
1990 49.79
1991 46.53
1992 41.57
1993 39.11
1994 40.36
1995 43.76
1996 37.13
1997 47.72
1998 52.55
1999 43.73
2000 40.09
2001 38.87
2002 39.68
2003 37.01
2004 41.38
2005 35.58
2006 34.08
2007 40.59
2008 51.04
2009 51.89
2010 51.26
2011 53.60
2012 61.40
2013 61.03
2014 57.53
2015 59.60
2016 45.85
2017 39.04
2018 43.53
2019 46.37
2020 46.06

Limitations and Exceptions: Because policymakers have tended to focus on fostering the growth of output, and because data on production are easier to collect than data on spending, many countries generate their primary estimate of GDP using the production approach. Moreover, many countries do not estimate all the components of national expenditures but instead derive some of the main aggregates indirectly using GDP (based on the production approach) as the control total. Data on exports and imports are compiled from customs reports and balance of payments data. Although the data from the payments side provide reasonably reliable records of cross-border transactions, they may not adhere strictly to the appropriate definitions of valuation and timing used in the balance of payments or corresponds to the change-of ownership criterion. This issue has assumed greater significance with the increasing globalization of international business. Neither customs nor balance of payments data usually capture the illegal transactions that occur in many countries. Goods carried by travelers across borders in legal but unreported shuttle trade may further distort trade statistics.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Gross domestic product (GDP) from the expenditure side is made up of household final consumption expenditure, general government final consumption expenditure, gross capital formation (private and public investment in fixed assets, changes in inventories, and net acquisitions of valuables), and net exports (exports minus imports) of goods and services. Such expenditures are recorded in purchaser prices and include net taxes on products.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Economic Policy & Debt Indicators

Sub-Topic: National accounts