Botswana Economy Exits Recession in Q3

2025-12-19 16:24 By Luisa Carvalho 1 min. read

The economy of Botswana advanced by 8.2% year-on-year in Q3 2025, rebounding from a revised 5.2% decline in the previous three-month period.

This was the first period of expansion after six consecutive quarters of contraction, marking the end of the prolonged recession.

Key drivers of growth were diamond traders (88.1% vs -46.2% in Q2) and mining & quarrying (39.5% vs -37.7%), driven by a substantial rise in diamond production (+45%).

Other significant positive contributions came from finance, insurance & pension funding (5.2% vs 5.4%); transport and storage (5.2% vs 4%), and accommodation & food services (4.6% vs 4.1%).

Meanwhile, declines were seen in utilities (-30.1% vs -6%) and construction (-1.1% vs 0.3%).

On a quarterly basis, the GDP expanded by 10.9% in Q3, the most since Q3 2020, following a revised 3.5% contraction in the previous quarter.



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Botswana Economy Exits Recession in Q3
The economy of Botswana advanced by 8.2% year-on-year in Q3 2025, rebounding from a revised 5.2% decline in the previous three-month period. This was the first period of expansion after six consecutive quarters of contraction, marking the end of the prolonged recession. Key drivers of growth were diamond traders (88.1% vs -46.2% in Q2) and mining & quarrying (39.5% vs -37.7%), driven by a substantial rise in diamond production (+45%). Other significant positive contributions came from finance, insurance & pension funding (5.2% vs 5.4%); transport and storage (5.2% vs 4%), and accommodation & food services (4.6% vs 4.1%). Meanwhile, declines were seen in utilities (-30.1% vs -6%) and construction (-1.1% vs 0.3%). On a quarterly basis, the GDP expanded by 10.9% in Q3, the most since Q3 2020, following a revised 3.5% contraction in the previous quarter.
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