Lesotho
Capital: MaseruRegion: Sub-Saharan Africa Income: Lower middle income
GDP
$2.47B
2026
Population
2.3M
2024
GDP per Capita
$1K
2026
Life Expectancy
57.4 years
2023
Economy
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (Current USD, Billions) | $2.47B | 2026 |
| Real GDP Growth (%) | 1.1% | 2026 |
| GDP per Capita (USD) | $1K | 2026 |
| GDP, PPP (Billions Intl $) | $7.59B | 2026 |
| GDP per Capita, PPP (Intl $) | $3K | 2026 |
| Share of World GDP, PPP (%) | 0.00% | 2026 |
| GNI (Current USD) | $2.71B | 2024 |
| GNI per Capita (USD) | $1K | 2024 |
| GNI per Capita, PPP (USD) | $4K | 2024 |
| Industry Value Added (% of GDP) | 30.9% | 2024 |
| Services Value Added (% of GDP) | 48.0% | 2024 |
| Agriculture Value Added (% of GDP) | 6.5% | 2024 |
| Government Consumption (% of GDP) | 35.6% | 2023 |
| Household Consumption (% of GDP) | 92.9% | 2023 |
| Gross Capital Formation (% of GDP) | 27.2% | 2023 |
| Gross Savings (% of GNI) | 19.9% | 2023 |
| GDP Deflator (%) | 3.6% | 2024 |
| GDP per Person Employed (USD) | $8K | 2024 |
| Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP) | 13.5% | 2024 |
| Adjusted Net National Income per Capita (USD) | $1K | 2021 |
| Adjusted Net Savings (% of GNI) | 5.8% | 2020 |
| External Balance on Goods & Services (% of GDP) | -55.7% | 2023 |
| Coal Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Mineral Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Oil Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Natural Gas Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Total Natural Resources Rents (% of GDP) | 4.3% | 2021 |
| Forest Rents (% of GDP) | 4.32% | 2021 |
| Industry Value Added (Current USD) | $702.8M | 2024 |
Fiscal & Monetary
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (%) | 4.8% | 2026 |
| Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP) | 57.1% | 2026 |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | 3.8% | 2026 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -2.5% | 2026 |
| Total Investment (% of GDP) | 31.8% | 2026 |
| Gross National Savings (% of GDP) | 29.4% | 2026 |
| Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank) | 6.1% | 2024 |
| Lending Interest Rate (%) | 11.2% | 2024 |
| Deposit Interest Rate (%) | 2.5% | 2024 |
| Government Debt (% of GDP) | 3.0% | 2020 |
| Government Revenue (% of GDP) | 44.2% | 2024 |
| Tax Revenue (% of GDP) | 37.3% | 2024 |
| Taxes on Goods & Services (% of revenue) | 32.7% | 2024 |
| Taxes on Income, Profits & Capital Gains (% of rev) | 20.4% | 2024 |
| Net Investment in Nonfinancial Assets (% of GDP) | 8.1% | 2024 |
| Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD) | $1.01B | 2024 |
| Total Reserves (months of imports) | 5.5 | 2024 |
| Official Exchange Rate (per USD) | 18.33 | 2024 |
| Broad Money (% of GDP) | 42.3% | 2020 |
Trade
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Trade (% of GDP) | 141.5% | 2023 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 98.6% | 2023 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (USD) | $909.1M | 2023 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (USD) | $2.09B | 2023 |
| Merchandise Exports (USD) | $992.0M | 2024 |
| Merchandise Imports (USD) | $1.85B | 2024 |
| FDI Inflows (% of GDP) | -0.6% | 2024 |
| FDI Net Inflows (USD) | $-12.6M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (USD) | $475.8M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP) | 20.9% | 2024 |
| High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured) | 0.1% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | 3.9% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (USD) | $89.2M | 2024 |
External Debt
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| External Debt (% of GNI) | 65.4% | 2024 |
| External Debt Stocks (USD) | $1.77B | 2024 |
| Total Debt Service (% of GNI) | 4.1% | 2024 |
| Present Value of External Debt (USD) | $786.4M | 2024 |
| Use of IMF Credit (USD) | $145.3M | 2024 |
| Net ODA Received (% of GNI) | 6.7% | 2023 |
Finance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP) | 25.6% | 2024 |
| Bank Capital to Assets Ratio (%) | 9.5% | 2023 |
| Bank Nonperforming Loans (%) | 3.8% | 2023 |
| Account Ownership at Financial Institution (%) | 61.6% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Female (%) | 60.4% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Male (%) | 62.9% | 2024 |
| Firms Using Banks to Finance Investment (%) | 20.4% | 2023 |
Business Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Get Electricity (days) | 52 | 2023 |
Private Sector
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Firms Expected to Pay Bribes (%) | 10.2% | 2023 |
| Firms with Female Top Manager (%) | 55.4% | 2023 |
| Firms with Female Participation in Ownership (%) | 30.0% | 2023 |
| Average Firm Age (years) | 15 years | 2023 |
| Firms Using Computers (%) | 55.4% | 2023 |
People
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2.3M | 2024 |
| Population Growth (%) | 1.1% | 2024 |
| Population Density (per km²) | 76 | 2023 |
| Surface Area (sq km) | 30,360 | 2023 |
| Land Area (sq km) | 30,360 | 2023 |
| Urban Population (%) | 43.7% | 2024 |
| Urban Population (total) | 1.0M | 2024 |
| Rural Population (%) | 56.3% | 2024 |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 57.4 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Male | 54.6 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Female | 60.0 years | 2023 |
| Fertility Rate (births per woman) | 2.7 | 2023 |
| Birth Rate (per 1,000) | 24.1 | 2023 |
| Death Rate (per 1,000) | 10.6 | 2023 |
| Net Migration | -5,192 | 2025 |
| Population Ages 0–14 (%) | 34.5% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 15–64 (%) | 61.6% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 65+ (%) | 3.9% | 2024 |
| Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 62.3% | 2024 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000) | 470.6 | 2023 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000) | 361.6 | 2023 |
Labor
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | 889,530 | 2025 |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 57.1% | 2025 |
| Female Labor Force Participation (%) | 48.1% | 2025 |
| Male Labor Force Participation (%) | 66.9% | 2025 |
| Unemployment (%) | 16.3% | 2025 |
| Female Unemployment (%) | 18.4% | 2025 |
| Male Unemployment (%) | 14.7% | 2025 |
| Youth Unemployment (%) | 24.7% | 2025 |
| Employment in Agriculture (%) | 30.9% | 2025 |
| Employment in Industry (%) | 33.0% | 2025 |
| Employment in Services (%) | 36.1% | 2025 |
| Vulnerable Employment (%) | 32.6% | 2025 |
| Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total) | 61.5% | 2025 |
| Part-Time Employment (%) | 15.0% | 2024 |
| Employers (% of total employment) | 5.9% | 2025 |
| Labor Force, Female (% of total) | 43.8% | 2025 |
Education
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Education Spending (% of GDP) | 6.6% | 2024 |
| Education Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 10.4% | 2024 |
| Adult Literacy Rate (%) | 90.4% | 2024 |
| Male Literacy Rate (%) | 83.2% | 2024 |
| Youth Literacy Rate (%) | 96.5% | 2024 |
| Primary School Enrollment (%) | 80.2% | 2024 |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 67.0% | 2023 |
| Lower Secondary Completion Rate (%) | 45.0% | 2024 |
| Out-of-School Children, Primary | 124,175 | 2024 |
| Out-of-School Girls, Primary | 60,997 | 2024 |
| Primary School Teachers | 10,388 | 2024 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 5,672 | 2023 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Primary | 33 | 2017 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Secondary | 25 | 2017 |
| Expenditure per Student, Primary (% of GDP/cap) | 56.0% | 2018 |
Health
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Health Spending (% of GDP) | 12.6% | 2023 |
| Health Spending per Capita (USD) | $123 | 2023 |
| Government Health Spending (% of GDP) | 5.8% | 2023 |
| Out-of-Pocket Health Spending (% of total) | 13.2% | 2023 |
| Physicians (per 1,000 people) | 0.2 | 2022 |
| Nurses & Midwives (per 1,000) | 1.8 | 2022 |
| Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births) | 58.9 | 2023 |
| Under-5 Mortality, Female (per 1,000) | 52.8 | 2023 |
| Under-5 Mortality, Male (per 1,000) | 64.8 | 2023 |
| Cause of Death, Communicable (%) | 42.2% | 2019 |
| Cause of Death, Non-Communicable (%) | 45.1% | 2019 |
| Cause of Death, Injury (%) | 12.7% | 2019 |
| Measles Immunization (% of children) | 90.0% | 2024 |
| DPT Immunization (% of children) | 86.0% | 2024 |
| HIV Incidence (per 1,000) | 1.90 | 2024 |
| Tuberculosis Incidence (per 100,000) | 548 | 2024 |
| Stunting, Children Under 5 (%) | 35.6% | 2024 |
| Overweight, Children Under 5 (%) | 7.7% | 2024 |
| Smoking Prevalence, Males (%) | 43.6% | 2022 |
| Smoking Prevalence, Females (%) | 5.1% | 2022 |
| Suicide Mortality Rate (per 100,000) | 28.7 | 2021 |
| Alcohol Consumption (liters per capita) | 4.3 | 2020 |
Energy & Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable Electricity Output (%) | 99.8% | 2021 |
| Renewable Energy Consumption (%) | 34.9% | 2022 |
| Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%) | 53.8% | 2023 |
| PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³) | 23.4 | 2020 |
| Forest Area (%) | 1.1% | 2023 |
| Forest Area (sq km) | 345 | 2023 |
| Terrestrial Protected Areas (%) | 23.4% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Drinking Water (%) | 78.1% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Sanitation (%) | 47.9% | 2024 |
Agriculture
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Land (%) | 77.8% | 2023 |
| Cereal Yield (kg per hectare) | 804 | 2023 |
| Food Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 98.7 | 2022 |
| Crop Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 107.6 | 2022 |
| Livestock Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 93.8 | 2022 |
| Land Under Cereal Production (hectares) | 177,933 | 2023 |
| Fertilizer Consumption (kg per hectare) | 8.7 | 2023 |
| Annual Freshwater Withdrawals (% of internal) | 0.8% | 2022 |
Technology
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Users (%) | 48.0% | 2023 |
| Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (per 100) | 0.4 | 2023 |
| Secure Internet Servers (per million) | 86.0 | 2024 |
| Patent Applications, Residents | 1 | 2019 |
| Scientific Journal Articles | 48 | 2022 |
| High-Technology Exports (USD) | $623K | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (% of service exports) | 0.1% | 2024 |
Infrastructure
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Logistics Performance Index (1–5) | 2.28 | 2018 |
| Electricity from Oil (%) | 0.1% | 2021 |
| Electricity from Nuclear (%) | 0.0% | 2021 |
Gender
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women in Parliament (%) | 25.0% | 2024 |
| Female Labor Force Participation, 15+ (%) | 57.5% | 2024 |
| Female Wage & Salaried Workers (%) | 66.4% | 2025 |
| Girls Out-of-School Rate (%) | 113.8% | 2017 |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1,000) | 70.6 | 2023 |
| Gender Parity Index, Secondary | 1.24 | 2019 |
Governance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Control of Corruption | -0.51 | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness | -0.95 | 2023 |
| Regulatory Quality | -0.59 | 2023 |
| Voice & Accountability | 0.03 | 2023 |
| Control of Corruption (percentile rank) | 33.5% | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness (percentile rank) | 16.5% | 2023 |
| Rule of Law (percentile rank) | 34.0% | 2023 |
| Political Stability (percentile rank) | 35.5% | 2023 |
Military
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Military Spending (% of GDP) | 1.6% | 2024 |
| Armed Forces (% of labor force) | 0.2% | 2020 |
Social Protection
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Human Capital Index (0–1) | 0.40 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Female | 0.36 | 2010 |
| Human Capital Index, Male | 0.32 | 2010 |
| Learning-Adjusted Years of School | 6.3 years | 2020 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| International Tourism, Arrivals | 1.1M | 2019 |
| Tourism Expenditures (USD) | $277.0M | 2020 |
Urban Development
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population in Slums (% of urban) | 25.6% | 2022 |
| Rural Population Growth (%) | -0.6% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Sanitation (%) | 43.8% | 2024 |