Southern Africa
Government consumption as a share of Southern African economies
Government final consumption equalled 35.75% of GDP in Lesotho in 2024, compared with 31.75% in Botswana and 12.68% in Zambia. The measure covers government purchases and services recorded in national accounts.
Sources checked
2024
Shared scale · 0% to 37.69%
2019
Shared scale · 0% to 37.69%
Switch years to compare on the same scale. The table keeps the intermediate annual observations.
Lesotho and Botswana stayed above 30%
Lesotho went from 37.69% in 2019 to 35.75% in 2024, then 36.43% in 2025. Botswana recorded 31.65%, 31.75% and 31.48% in the same three years. The denominator in each country is its own GDP. Source 1
Mozambique and Zambia recorded lower shares than in 2019
Mozambique’s share was 22.58% in 2019 and 18.40% in 2024, followed by 19.20% in 2025. Zambia recorded 17.68% in 2019 and 12.68% in 2024, the latest year available in the selected table. Source 1
South Africa and Namibia had different shifts
South Africa moved from 19.58% in 2019 to 19.19% in 2024. Namibia went from 25.55% to 22.26%. A smaller share can reflect GDP growing faster than the consumption numerator. It does not establish that nominal expenditure fell. Source 1 Source 2
Final consumption covers services and current purchases
The national accounts include current purchases of goods and services, including employee compensation. The measure excludes capital formation and differs from a budget measure that may include transfers or debt costs. The ratio cannot show the quality or reach of a public service. Source 2